Ranking the top four 1-2 punches in the West
3. Chris Paul & Devin Booker
- Chris Paul’s Phoenix stats: 15.6 ppg, 9.8 apg, 1.6 spg
- Devin Booker’s Phoenix stats: 26.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.5 apg
It’ll be a long time before the Phoenix Suns can wipe away the stench of what took place during Game 7 this year against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semis.
Chris Paul and Devin Booker, the two leaders of the Suns, simply forgot that they were supposed to show up. The Suns were rag dolled on the court, losing by 33 points and being down by as much as 46, resulting in the most lopsided defeat in Game 7 history.
Although they’ll be forced to live with that embarrassing defeat until the day they retire, let’s not take away from how terrific they are as a duo. In now two seasons together, the Suns have won north of 50 games, including a league-best 64 this past season.
Paul continues to do what he always does, play at an efficient and high level. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer has averaged 15.6 points, 9.8 assists, and 2.3 steals during his time in Phoenix. Booker, on the other hand, has poured in 26.2 points per game with Paul as his teammate.
In terms of their fit with one another, Booker and Paul have arguably the most obvious and clear connection on the court. Paul, a pass first guard, a rarity in today’s NBA, is coming off a season in which he led the entire NBA in assists per game with 10.8. Defensively, Phoenix’s backcourt isn’t physically imposing. Still, with an NBA Finals appearance underneath their belt in 2021, Booker and Paul have racked up a ridiculous amount of wins.