“You can’t cash in this year, you’re not gonna cash it in… I feel badly for him” - Nick Wright says 12-time All-Star’s championship window is closed
The Phoenix Suns were humiliated in their 123-90 Game 7 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. And analyst Nick Wright believes that was Chris Paul's final chance at a championship.
Despite finishing with a league-best 64-18 record, they failed to assert their dominance. They lost two games to the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round and failed to win the Western Conference semifinals despite taking a 2-0 series lead.
Paul, 37, is getting old, which will see him gradually start to decline in terms of production. Thus, you can understand why Wright believes the 12-time All-Star's window is closing.
On "What's Wright? With Nick Wright," the sports analyst said:
"Chris Paul was awful after Game 2. And, he's 37, he's six feet tall. I'm 37. I'm six feet tall. That's young and tall for a regular person. That's incredibly old and very short for an NBA player."
After talking about how the basketball gods might be punishing Paul and Devin Booker for taunting Luka Doncic early in the series, he continued:
"The problem for Chris Paul is this: This is the fifth time he's been up 2-0 in a series and they've lost. He has blown a 3-1 lead; he was up 2-0 in the finals. Chris Paul is one of the 25 greatest players in the last 50 years. He is an all-time great. It is also true that he has had some brutal postseason moments there's no walking around.
"I think they're done in Phoenix. The window is closed. The window is flatly closed. He's flatly not gonna be better than he was this year. He had a golden opportunity last year where he finally got to the finals, they're up 2-0 in the finals, and Giannis (Antetokounmpo) stole it from them."
Wright pointed out the several opportunities and edge the Suns failed to take advantage of in the last two years. He also said that it is unlikely for them to have a better chance next year.
"I think Chris Paul ends his career with just the one finals appearance. (If) you can't cash in in this year, you're not gonna cash it in. We would have gotten to see Chris Paul versus Steph (Curry) one more time, now we're not. So, I think it's a wrap. I feel badly for him."
Meanwhile, CP3 has three years left on the four-year contract he signed with the Suns in 2021. While there is no telling if he will retire at the end of this contract, he has at least three more seasons to win his first ring.
Nick Wright has had high praise for Chris Paul in the past
Before Chris Paul's productivity significantly dropped in the postseason, Nick Wright was in awe of his performances. After CP3's fourth-quarter takeover in Game 2 to give the Suns a 2-0 series lead, the sports analyst said Paul is one of the top 25 players in league history.
"I do have to open my eyes to the possibility that Chris Paul, who is one of the 25 greatest players ever, this might be his masterpiece. He's about to turn 37 years old, this might be his moment.
"I thought what he did last night, and what he's done the entire fourth quarter of this postseason has been downright surgical precision point guard play. And I think he's getting in the Mavs' heads, and he's getting anywhere on the court."
"Congrats to Luka, officially passing Jordan — highest points per game in playoff history. But Luka didn't play a great game. ... Maybe this is Chris Paul's, who is one of the 25 greatest players ever, this might be his masterpiece. This might be his moment." — @getnickwright https://t.co/7dyF5bYy3l
CP finished that game with 28 points, 14 of which came in the fourth quarter alone. He went 6 of 7 from the field while also providing two assists, two rebounds and a steal. Unfortunately, things fell apart for the veteran guard, who registered only 10 points in the all-deciding Game 7.