Ahead of his season debut against the Denver Nuggets, Suns guard Chris Paul was asked about facing Denver for the first time since the playoffs.
Just a few months ago, the Suns swept Denver in Round 2 before going on to lose in the Finals.
Instead of hanging on to the dominance his team displayed that series, CP3 directed focus to the present, telling the media that what happened in the past no longer matters in this current campaign.
“The biggest advice I give to any of these guys (is) what happens in our league is what have you done for me lately. Don’t nobody give a damn about last year’s playoffs or what’s going on. You gotta do it over and over again in this league.”
Chris Paul on sweep of DEN last year: "The biggest advice I give to any of these guys (is) what happens in our league is what have you done for me lately. Don't nobody give a damn about last year's playoffs or what's going on. You gotta do it over and over again in this league."
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) October 20, 2021
It might not matter much to him now, but that Finals berth was a huge moment for the franchise, and for Paul especially. Out of 16 total seasons in the NBA, the 2021 run was the only time the 11x All-Star has ever made the Finals.
Still, Paul refuses to look back. Instead, he and his team continue to charge ahead, with hopes that they’ll be able to go all the way.
True, nobody is picking them to win it this season, but they shouldn’t be counted out completely. Besides valuable playoff experience, the Suns walk with a certain attitude and focus they didn’t have last year.
“Championship basketball and nothing less than that,” Booker responded when asked what type of foundation this season laid for the Suns moving forward, via Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “So, going into next season, on a Tuesday night playing against Cleveland, if we don’t have it, we will be quickly reminded about the details and if you don’t want to give it your all right now, what can happen and this feeling right now that we’re feeling can happen. This isn’t something you want to feel. I haven’t felt a hurt like this in my life. So, that’s when I know we have a base and a foundation. Just championship basketball at all times.”
Nobody knows what the future has in store for Phoenix, or if last season was some fluke. Plus, the Deandre Ayton situation doesn’t exactly bode well for their stability going forward.
But so long as Devin Booker and Chris Paul are with that franchise, they’ll always be a force, and that’s more than can be said for a lot of other teams out there.
