Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns are rolling in the playoffs. They just buried the Denver Nuggets in a 2-0 hole in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and the manner with which they are dismantling Nikola Jokic and company can be bewildering to some. The Nuggets are getting manhandled by the Suns. If only the Nuggets have Jamal Murray…

Nothing to take away from the excellent brand of basketball the Suns are putting up in the playoffs, but they also benefited from the injury problems of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. And from what we’re seeing in the Western Conference semifinals against the Nuggets, Phoenix is capitalizing on a huge plus for them in the form of Murray’s absence.

Chris Paul is still chasing an NBA title. This season presents another opportunity for him to complete his mission to join a parade downtown with the Larry O’Brien trophy, and so far, CP3 and the Suns remain on course to an appearance in the NBA Finals, thanks in part to key injuries to teams they cross paths with.

Anthony Davis missed Game 5 of the first round against the Suns and Phoenix took full advantage of that by scoring a win that gave them the 3-2 series lead. Davis tried to play in Game 6, but he was no more than an injured duck, unable to finish the game because of a hurting groin. 

Chris Paul hasn’t been exactly healthy as well in this postseason, as he is also managing a shoulder issue. He’s built quite a reputation of having the body that seems to break down when it matters the most AKA in the playoffs. Los Angeles Clippers fans could still remember him missing the first two games of the 2015 Western Conference semis against the Houston Rockets, which both teams split. The series ended in a Game 7 win for Houston. What if Paul didn’t miss a game in that series?

Then more recently — and more bitter — there’s the hamstring injury that forced Paul, who was at the time playing for the Houston Rockets,  to sit out Games 6 and 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals. The Rockets had a 3-2 series lead entering Game 6, with Paul playing an undeniably massive role in putting the powerhouse Warriors on the ropes. Then his hammy acted up, the Rockets lost Game 6 before forgetting to take the lid off the basket in Game 7, resulting in 27-straight missed 3-pointers. Only sorcery could explain how the Rockets suffered such terrible fate. Paul definitely would have made a big difference, only that he wasn’t there to even try.

In the current series against the Nuggets, Paul looks rejuvenated. In Phoenix’s 123-98 home win in Game 2, Paul scored 17 points and dished out 15 turnovers without even turning the ball over in 31 minutes of action.  The Suns’ offense is humming with Paul at the helm of it. The Nuggets, meanwhile,  are getting so heavily reliant on Jokic with no one stepping up to help him. 

Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon should be out there providing ample scoring support to the reigning NBA MVP, but those two had just combined for 17 points on a horrible 6-of-21 shooting from the floor in Game 2. In other words, the Nuggets are extremely missing Murray.

Chris Paul isn’t going to feel bad for the Nuggets because the Robin to Jokic’s Batman is not playing. The Point God will milk every opportunity to punish the Nuggets. In the two games so far in the Nuggets series, Paul has managed to average 19.0 points on 58.3 percent shooting from the field, 13.0 assists, and just 0.5 turnovers.

Here’s more from Brian Windhorst of ESPN:

“During this five-game postseason winning streak, Paul has 53 assists and four turnovers. That's 53-4. With his shoulder better — he couldn't even attempt long shots for several games in the previous round — he has made 14 of 24 shots and 4 of 5 3-pointers in this series. His two 3s on Wednesday were fourth-quarter daggers.”

For all the past injuries which held Paul from honestly competing for at least an appearance in the NBA Finals, here is a time when he’s all of a sudden on the right side in the playoffs, with key players on opposing teams hurt, making things a whole lot easier for his Suns.

Chris Paul is an awesome basketball player who deserves to finish his career with at least an NBA ring. The Suns are winning because of their superb unit who plays incredibly well on both ends of the floor. But it wouldn’t certainly hurt Paul and the Suns if the gods of luck are finally smiling down on him.