Chris Paul Sparks Hope in Return for Phoenix Suns

After missing seven games with a hip injury, Phoenix Suns Chris Paul returned to the lineup last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, making his presence known

Chris Paul is back for the Phoenix Suns looking nearly better than ever.

After missing seven games due to a hip injury, Paul returned to the court last night to face off against the Memphis Grizzlies and he surely did not disappoint. Paul dropped 22 points, six rebounds and 11 assists en route to a 112-110 victory.

It was Paul’s offensive dominance and ability to distribute the ball that stood out last night. Paul, who has been suffering with injuries through the latter part of his career, looked one hundred percent healthy against the Grizzlies. He played like he was 27-years-old rather than 37-years-old.

Perhaps still some gas left in the tank after all.

It wasn’t just his play on the court but rather his overall presence which brought the spirits up from the whole Suns’ roster.

“Great man, just getting one of our leaders back,” Mikal Bridges said in response to getting Chris Paul back. 

“Y’all know how talented C (Chris Paul) is, how smart he is. Just great to have him back out there. Just gives us another dynamic, as we are trying to get our guys back. Happy for C to come back, happy he is healthy. We definitely need him, we are going to keep getting our guys back and keep getting better.”

With Devin Booker out with a groin injury, having Paul back on the court is huge for a Suns team that lacked a floor general in his absence. However, Paul emphasized how important it is to keep the ball movement flowing and not relying on him to run ISO ball every play.

“They wasn’t losing every game, those guys were competing,” Paul said. “I think one of the biggest things I noticed was how the ball was moving, how the ball was popping. Because I wasn’t out there, and Book wasn’t out there. We went into a little lull maybe in the third or fourth quarter and I looked over and I said, I called a play I know the guys have been running to move the ball. 

"Just because I am back, doesn’t mean that I have to have it all the time. I think that is going to be something that is a conscious effort, just making sure the ball keeps moving. That is what has been really nice being out watching this group.”

The key for Paul is consistency. In the twilight of his career, he struggles to play a dominant brand of basketball at a consistent rate. If he is fully healthy for the playoffs however, Paul could be the driving force in what leads Phoenix on a deep playoff run meaning they have to make sure to manage his minutes so another injury does not occur.

If Paul can maintain that level of play on top of a healthy Booker in the near future, the Suns can push back the play-in tournament with hopes of grasping the Larry O'Brien trophy.