The Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns are squaring off Tuesday night. Erik Spoelstra was highly complimentary of Chris Paul.
While speaking about facing the Suns, Spoelstra explained how Paul always seems to turn teams into contenders regardless of where he goes, via Duane Rankin of Azcentral.com.
“You talk about hall-of-fame player and hall-of-fame mind in the way he can control and manipulate a basketball game. It is not a coincidence that every team that he ends up on, they end up being better for it and become a contending team." Erik Spoelstra on Chris Paul. #Suns pic.twitter.com/u0SV0G2dT0
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 23, 2021
Ahead of the 2020-2021 season, the Suns acquired Paul in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Whenever the news broke, everyone assumed that Phoenix would become a playoff contender just due to Paul arriving in the desert.
While the Suns haven't made the postseason since the 2009-2010 season, Paul has led the team to an impressive 28-13 record, putting Phoenix as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The pairing of Paul and Devin Booker has transformed the Suns into a team that could compete for a title this season.
Also, before Paul joined the Suns, he helped Oklahoma City make the playoffs in the 2019-2020 season. And before that, Paul consistently helped the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets make the playoffs.
Even though Paul hasn't won a championship yet, he has plenty of experience in the postseason, and he's never necessarily had a team that has everything needed to win a ring. In his 16th season in the NBA, Paul was named to his 11th All-Star Game as he's averaging 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game with the Suns.
Just a few days ago, in a Suns uniform, Paul became the sixth player in NBA history to achieve 10,000 career assists. With his ability to operate the offense, along with his leadership on and off of the floor, Paul continues to draw praise from his counterparts.
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