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There's some history between Suns guard Chris Paul and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado. Last year, New Orleans and Phoenix faced off against each other in a tightly contested playoff series during the first round of the postseason. The Suns won the series in six games, but Alvarado guarded Paul for much of the series and greatly frustrated the future Hall of Famer. Paul was even limited to a mere four points in Game 4, a game that the Pelicans won by 15 points at home.
The Suns and Pelicans finally had a chance to play one another again on Friday. This time it was the Pelicans that came out on top, as they won 128-117. Alvarado had a rib contusion but played anyway. When asked after the game about what gave him the motivation to play through the pain, Alvarado gave the following response:
“If that person (Chris Paul) was playing, I'm playing.”
Jose Alvarado, 24, is in his second year in the NBA and with the Pelicans. He's averaging 10.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game across 25 appearances this season. Alvarado, foremost a defensive-minded player, has made considerable strides in his ability to shoot the ball behind the three-point arc, as he's converting 40.2% of his long-range looks, by far a career-high.
Clearly, Alvarado embraces the challenge of guarding some of the best players in the NBA, Paul included. The Brooklyn, New York native may receive some consideration for an All-Defense team if he can continue to generate steals at a high rate.
