Believe it or not, CP3 deserves the least credit out of anyone for rebuilding this Suns culture. Of course, having a generation point guard and one of the most cerebral athletes of all-time shifts the way a team must operate. Coaches need to be open-minded, front office executives need to acknowledge they’re not the smartest basketball minds in the room and other players have to match his intensity.
However, the foundation for a successful, competitive Phoenix Suns team was set well before the future Hall of Famer was traded to the Valley of the Sun. The basketball minds in Phoenix could’ve easily made a play at CP3 earlier in the process, but they understood that there was work to be done first.
Most of the Suns’ rotation was either drafted by the team or acquired when players found themselves at crossroads. The infrastructure has been in place for someone of CP3’s nature to help bring them along, but the team built an identity before a CP3-trade was even plausible.
Averaging 13.3 points and 8.7 assists per game, Chris Paul is setting a tone for his team. He’s making his teammates both young and old better at their craft by teaching them with his play. Lining up next to Paul might end up being the best thing that’s happened to Devin Booker’s NBA career, but ultimately, he’s not the cause of this shift in Phoenix — He’s the result of it.
Phoenix Suns</a> fans as they combat their favorite team’s owner and his unfathomable mismanagement of a franchise over the years. Yet here they are — One of the top teams in the Western Conference through the early portion of the season with a budding young core and an all-time great leader in <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/19/phoenix-suns-culture-shift-responsible/2/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/paulch01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Chris Paul</a>.</p>
<p>So just how did they manage to pull this off? For 10 years, the Phoenix Suns have missed the NBA postseason. At times, they fell just short of the eighth seed with a hodgepodge of sneaky guards and feisty frontcourt players. For other stretches, the team seemed like a lost cause without a rhyme or reason.</p>
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<p>Now, the Phoenix Suns have a culture and a direction. General manager James Jones stepped into the role with very limited front office experience, but corporate knowledge of franchises, players and legacies that far transcend the sport. He hired Monty Williams, whose personal and professional experiences have shaped him to be an incredible leader and an even better man.</p>
<p>Still, how much can you credit these guys without talking about the players themselves? We remember coaches and genius teambuilders, but not nearly as well as the game remembers the players.</p>
<p>Regardless of how you spin it, these aren’t the Phoenix Suns that basketball fans are accustomed to seeing. They’re committed to defense, have a dynamic offense that can kill you in the halfcourt or stretch the floor when out in transition. They play in-sync on most nights and uplift each other when they fail to see their potential through.</p>
<p>Legitimate competitive expectations have arrived on the doorstep of their arena in Downtown Phoenix. So who deserves the most credit for this transition?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/19/phoenix-suns-culture-shift-responsible/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 — The new guy </a>
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<span class="call_to_action">Related Story:</span> Does the East or West have more star power? </a> </div>
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<p>When you have teams that are run poorly from the top-down, players eventually have to move on. The clock’s been ticking on Booker’s time in Phoenix ever since it became clear that he’s a star-caliber player. Though Booker is a great example for his teammates with strong leadership qualities on and off the court, he’s not able to change the culture of his team without assistance and leadership stemming from the franchise itself.</p>
<p>It may be obvious to state, but Devin Booker can’t stand losing. No one in the NBA says they can stand losing, but Booker is dead serious about it. The only reason he’s still in Phoenix is because of what they’ve established over the last few years and who established it. He may be the biggest cog in crafting a winning basketball team in Arizona, but he can’t be given credit for building the culture itself.</p>
<p>That’s not his fault either — Booker was drafted as an 18-year-old fresh out of college. He’s been a model citizen for the team and is easily their best player since Steve Nash. Still, Booker’s gradually worked toward finding his voice as a leader and tone-setter in the NBA. He’s made phenomenal progress in that regard but he’s far from finished.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/19/phoenix-suns-culture-shift-responsible/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 — The man behind the curtain </a>
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