Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns have a lot of adversity ahead of them. With Devin Booker suffering a hamstring injury, they will have to face the New Orleans Pelicans without him. Paul will have to take over to keep his team going in the NBA playoffs. First Take hooked onto this narrative and discussed Paul in one of its segments.
Chris Russo said that the Suns' star point guard is not a transcendent talent and argued in favor of Bob Cousy over him. Russo took a negative stance on the Suns overall for being tied with the Pelicans in the first-round series.
JJ Redick, one of Paul's former teammates, wasn't having it. He invoked one of NBA Twitter's favorite phrases and came to the Suns' All-Star's defense by saying that Cousy played against firemen and plumbers.
JJ Redick is so fed up on First Take 😂😂
“[Bob Cousy] was being guarded by plumbers and firemen” pic.twitter.com/qOAkLEEUgd
— Tony Clements (@TonyCMKE) April 20, 2022
Redick citing Cousy's field-goal percentage shows. Even when adjusted for the difference in the league's scoring environment then and now, Paul is a more efficient scorer than Cousy was. The Suns' floor general is one of the best players at his position ever. Using one playoff loss to dismiss that is disingenuous and really just a hot take. But that's the m.o. of First Take, anyway.
Paul and the Suns will be challenged more without Booker but injuries have never faltered in the face of injuries. They have the talent to overcome Booker's absence at least in the first round, though it won't be easy.
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