Former Suns PG Chris Paul Recognized By Analyst

The Phoenix Suns are four years removed from their most recent NBA Finals appearance in 2021.

The team is much different compared to the dilapidated roster the franchise has today, and Phoenix's failure to make the playoffs is reflected in that.

One of the players on the 2021 Suns that will be heading to the Hall of Fame after his career ends is Chris Paul. He was also named on Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey's list of the top 50 NBA playoff performers of all-time, clocking in at No. 34.

"This is another selection that may surprise some people. Over the years, Chris Paul's playoff failures have received far more coverage than his successes. And that's fine. He's been on some stacked rosters, and he hadn't made the conference finals till his 13th season," Bailey wrote.

"Of course, he still hasn't won a title either.

"But when you comb through the annals of NBA history, you won't find many point guards, let alone undersized ones, who've led their teams to championships. You also won't find many who were as productive in their postseason minutes as CP3's been."

Paul's critics will point towards the fact that he never won a championship to undermine his legacy, and his closest chance to a ring was back in 2021.

Paul arrived in Phoenix that season in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in hopes of lifting the Suns back into the top tier of teams in the Western Conference.

Paul emerged as the perfect partner for Devin Booker in the backcourt as the Suns became the No. 2 seed in the West.

Phoenix beat the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in six games before a sweep of the Denver Nuggets and a triumphant six-game series against the Los Angeles Clippers to reach the NBA Finals. However, the Milwaukee Bucks won it all in six games, and that's the closest Paul ever was to a championship.