That same combination of facing tough opponents, injury woes and plain bad luck could apply to the Phoenix Suns and their 52-year history as a franchise … which is why it’s only fitting that their union now has both parties on the cusp of finally breaking the mold. But buried beneath those traumatic, benchmark moments was a proven playoff competitor who needed things to shake his way just once to finally break through. All people ever remembered was a few late-game blunders against the Oklahoma City Thunder and coughing up a 3-1 lead to the Houston Rockets during his time with the LA Clippers. The answer, of course required context: CP3 rarely lost playoff series in which he definitively had the better team, and a string of bad luck and playoff injuries hampered him at almost every turn. How could one of the greatest point guards of all time have only reached two conference finals, never played in the Finals and never hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy? In Game 6 of the 2021 Western Conference Finals, the Phoenix Suns star seized his moment.ĭespite being an 11-time NBA All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, four-time assists leader, six-time steals leader and one of the top-five point guards to ever play the game of basketball, Chris Paul‘s biggest career knock was one that just kept pounding away at his credentials: He had never won a championship, and he had never even been to the NBA Finals.įor many, it was a difficult dichotomy to reconcile. Needless to say, the Clippers have a massive offseason ahead of them.Chris Paul waited 16 years for his first NBA Finals appearance. But losing the two-time Finals MVP would be a devastating blow to the Clippers, who paid a huge price to pair Leonard with Paul George in the summer of 2019. Of course, he could simply opt out of his current deal just to sign a new one with L.A. Leonard has a $36 million player option that makes sense financially for him to decline (he can make over $39 million next season on a new max deal). Leonard reportedly would not have been ready to play if Los Angeles forced a Game 7, though there was at least a chance he could have returned during the NBA Finals.Ī rumor surfaced last week citing Leonard’s unhappiness with the Clippers’ medical staff, which is especially notable with his potential free agency looming. While the Clippers managed to close out their second-round series against the top-seeded Utah Jazz with Leonard sidelined, his absence proved to be too much to overcome in the West finals. Kawhi Leonard missed Los Angeles’ final eight playoff games due to a right knee sprain. Meanwhile, the Clippers enter an offseason of uncertainty, likely wondering what could have been after their season ended without their best player in uniform. The Suns will have home-court advantage in the Finals regardless of opponent due to their superior regular-season record. If a Game 7 is required, then Game 1 of the Finals will be on July 8. If the Bucks-Hawks series wraps up in six games, the Finals will start on July 6. Young is questionable while Antetokounmpo is doubtful for Thursday’s Game 5 in Milwaukee. The Trae Young-less Hawks tied up the series at 2-2 on Tuesday as Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a hyperextended knee. Phoenix now awaits the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks. Tatum gets candid about leadership style, ‘connection' with Boston
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