Chris Paul feels somewhat uncomfortable with the notion that he arrives at the Phoenix Suns as a wise veteran player who will impart knowledge to the next generation of stars.
He knows that he is in his thirties and that time does not go backwards. Yes, he is ready to fit in with Devin Booker, who turned 24 and is one of the best young scorers in the NBA. Certainly, after 15 years, 1,020 regular season games, and 109 postseason games, Paul has learned a few things.
But just because he has a basketball doctorate in the league doesn't mean he arrives in the desert as a teacher.
- The new NBA season will start on December 22.
"By no means am I James Naismith (the inventor of basketball)," said a smiling Paul. "It's fun for me. First of all, I'm not here to teach anyone. I'm a teammate (of Booker's). We're here to play, we're here to compete, and that's how I approach it."
At 35 years old, Paul showed with the Oklahoma City Thunder that he can still play at a high level. He was selected to his tenth All-Star Game, averaging 17.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. Now he will be surrounded by Booker, who was selected to his first All-Star Game last year, as well as Deandre Ayton, a talented 7-foot center who was the first overall pick in the 2018 draft.
The Suns haven't made the playoffs since 2010, but they are coming off a promising season. They finished with a record of 34-39 and went 8-0 in the NBA restart in the bubble in Florida, narrowly missing out on the postseason.
General manager James Jones believed that the Suns needed a marquee player to continue growing and made one of the most impactful trades of the preseason by acquiring Paul and Abdel Nader from the Thunder in exchange for Ricky Rubio, Kelly Oubre Jr., Ty Jerome, and Halen Lecque.
Paul said that having a young team is sometimes good because it's like a fresh start.
"The most important thing he learned last year is that you are responsible for writing your own narrative," said Paul. "I think that was the best thing our team did. We ignored, and I don't mean to disrespect you, the predictions you made, the expectations you had. You're not in the locker room. We're the ones doing the work." (D)