Why bringing Chris Paul back to Phoenix actually makes sense right now.
Dear Mat,
Let me get straight to the point: It’s time to bring Chris Paul back to Phoenix.
Not just because it would make a feel-good headline or because fans like me still chant his name in the hallways of PHX Arena, but because it’s the right basketball move, for right now.
Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
Let’s rewind for a second. When Chris Paul first came to the Phoenix Suns, he didn’t just help take a young, plucky, bubble Suns team to the NBA Finals. He transformed this franchise. He gave it purpose. He gave it urgency. He gave it a culture. Every possession mattered. Every defensive rotation. Every late-game out-of-bounds play. Every single minute was played with surgical focus, because that’s what CP3 demanded. That’s what he lived.
And that’s exactly what’s missing from this team today.
We’ve seen what happens to this roster without that voice. We’ve seen what happens when a team is built on talent without leadership, without accountability, without a North Star. Kevin Durant was just here to hoop, a mercenary, and that doesn’t build culture; it kills it. All the culture we had from ‘The Valley’ Suns, gone in a flash.
Look at his track record. He’s a future Hall of Fame point guard, yes, but he’s also a legendary teacher. A developer. A maximizer of talent!
- He helped DeAndre Jordan become an All-NBA center
- He made Blake Griffin into a superstar
- He unlocked Deandre Ayton’s best version of himself, and he’s been regressing ever since
- He helped mold Devin Booker from a bucket-getter into a complete player and MVP candidate
- And even last season, at age 39, he played in all 82 games for the Spurs and had a profound impact on Victor Wembanyama’s development
Chris Paul doesn’t just play the game. He raises the game of everyone around him.
That’s why you need to call him.
Yes, he’s older. And no, you don’t need him to play 32 minutes a night anymore. That’s the beauty of it. We have a new lease on life and an 18-year-old 7’2” phenom named Maluach. What we lack is direction, a teacher, a culture. And that’s something no stat sheet will show, but every Suns fan can feel Chris brings in spades. The identity we once had is gone. And Chris Paul, even if he’s giving you 18–20 minutes a night, brings a Hall of Fame mind to the huddle, to the bench, to the film room, to every practice. That is what this locker room desperately needs.
Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
And Mat, let’s talk straight here.
It’s okay to admit a mistake.
Sending Chris Paul away in the Bradley Beal trade didn’t work out; and that’s putting it lightly, let’s not dwell on it. But now? The Suns are born anew with a future and a glimmer of hope once again. The culture has been burned to the ground, but from those ashes, like a Phoenix, we can rise again!
Chris doesn’t belong in L.A. He belongs here. In Phoenix. In his huddle. In our arena.
So please, Mat. Pick up the phone. Swallow the pride. Say the words:
“We don’t just want you back, Chris…we need you back.”
The Valley remembers. And we’re ready to run it back with our Point God.
Sincerely,
A Devoted Suns Fan
(on behalf of all the ones who still believe)
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