Chris Paul News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/chris-paul/ Minnesota sports, but different Tue, 16 Apr 2024 08:45:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Chris Paul News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/chris-paul/ 32 32 Timberwolves Among Favorites to Land Chris Paul if Suns Move Him https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-a-favorite-chris-paul/ Fri, 12 May 2023 20:24:54 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=42620 The Minnesota Timberwolves’ season has been over for weeks so much of the news and rumors surrounding our local pro basketball team have died down recently. The same cannot be said for Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns, who were just eliminated Thursday night, after a game-6 loss in the 2nd round at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.

Chris Paul reportedly on his way out of Phoenix

In classic NBA fashion, rumors started spreading immediately after last night’s game that Suns point guard Chris Paul is on his way out of Phoenix. He and DeAndre Ayton, according to reports, may have played their last game in Suns jerseys. New owner, Mat Ishbia, wants to clear salary so he can build better depth around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.

There is also wondering around the NBA, according to league sources, about whether Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton — two players who were driving forces in Phoenix’s run to the 2021 NBA Finals but were sidelined for Thursday’s elimination game — will wear a Suns uniform again.

Tim MacMahon – ESPN
Minnesota Timberwolves favorites to land CP3

And because the year is 2023, sportsbooks across the internet have taken the Chris Paul fodder into a possible moneymaker, using their massive depth of inside sources and information to attach odds to where Paul will go next.

One well-known betting institution, BetOnline.ag, has the Minnesota Timberwolves owning 4/1 odds (2nd-best in the NBA) at landing the Suns’ aging superstar point guard, should he depart the desert. The Lakers have slightly better odds, at 3/1. Other teams in the CP3 running include the Clippers (6/1), 76ers (7/1) and Heat (8/1).

Does Chris Paul to Wolves make sense?

Paul has two seasons remaining on his current contract, a deal that is set to expire when CP3 is 39 years old. But, only half of next year’s salary (about $15 million) is guaranteed. The 2nd season has zero guaranteed dollars on the books.

So financially, trading for Chris Paul is probably feasible. Especially since Karl-Anthony Towns’ new supermax contract ($50 million per season) doesn’t kick in until 2024-25 and Anthony Edwards is still cheap.

But the Wolves already have Mike Conley on the books for next season, for slightly less than what CP3 is scheduled to make, and he seemed to work really well with Rudy Gobert. Would Tim Connelly & Co mess with that, in favor of another once-great but now aging point guard? Or would he be better off running things back as is?

I wouldn’t think so, but major sportsbooks usually know much better than I do.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Fri, 12 May 2023 15:24:57 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Patrick Beverley Slandered Chris Paul All Over ESPN Monday Morning https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/patrick-beverley-slandered-chris-paul-all-over-espn-monday-morning/ Mon, 16 May 2022 16:03:37 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=39032 The Phoenix Suns were absolutely destroyed in game 7 of their second round playoff matchup vs the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night. By halftime, the score was 57-27 and the game was over. When the whistle blew on the 3rd quarter, the lead had ballooned to 42 points (92-50).

Anthony Edwards, in a story he’d later delete, used Instagram to laugh at the Suns while it was happening. Clearly, he took exception to the Suns’ trash talk during the season. We found out, via Patrick Beverley on Monday morning, why Ant felt so comfortable posting on the subject. The league isn’t afraid of the Phoenix Suns.

History Meets Present

Patrick Beverley and Chris Paul have a long playoff history against each other. Hatred between the two is well-known and well-documented. It might be the biggest and best personal rivalry between any two individual players in the NBA right now.

So when Bev got an opportunity to join ESPN for two different shows (Get Up, First Take) Monday morning, immediately following Chris Paul’s demise, we knew the savagery would be first class. How bad was CP3, in reality? Pretty bad.

The Mavs went at him when they had the ball on offense and used that to wear down the 37-year-old veteran. Paul averaged 9.4 points per game over the final 5 games vs Dallas. On defense, Dallas switched and played the high wall vs pick and roll on both Devin Booker and Chris Paul. Nobody else could make them pay for that extra attention. Paul couldn’t get to his favorite elbow spot and his body broke down. All of that culminated into a heavy decline in offensive aggressiveness and production out of Chris Paul, by series end.

Bev said the Suns were “scared” going into last night because they knew they couldn’t hang with Luka Doncic. He went on to call CP3 a “cone” on defense and said the Suns should have benched the future hall of famer in game 7.

Wolves Want all the Smoke

I’m not sure how to feel about all of the shit Patrick Beverley talked on ‘The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ Monday morning. I appreciate his fearlessness and I’m happy Anthony Edwards is feeling confident, as well.

But the Minnesota in me can’t help but cringe. And one thing is for sure, Patrick Beverley is making enemies for the Wolves come next season. Remember, the Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t have a resume, entering this season.

Yes, they finally made the playoff field as a 7-seed in 2022. But after a play-in game to get there, Bev, Ant and their teammates exited after 6 games in the first round, celebrating themselves on the way out. The Phoenix Suns went to the NBA Finals in 2021, then won 64 games and went into the playoffs as the #1 seed in 2022.

We all know about Bev’s personal agenda vs Chris Paul but his smack talk from this morning will reach far beyond their relationship. Hopefully, KAT and gang are ready for all the smoke Patrick Beverley and Anthony Edwards cooked up between Sunday night and Monday morning. Because Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell folded down the stretch of round 1, much like Pat is accusing the Suns of doing in round 2.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Tue, 17 May 2022 09:16:44 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves D’Antoni, Paul, and Harden’s Playoff Histories Tell Us Timberwolves Can Win Series https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/dantoni-paul-and-hardens-playoff-histories-tell-us-timberwolves-can-win-series/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/dantoni-paul-and-hardens-playoff-histories-tell-us-timberwolves-can-win-series/#respond Sun, 15 Apr 2018 16:07:01 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=9262

Congrats, Wolves fans. We made it.

via GIPHY

That’s correct, coach. I’m talking about the playoffs. Tonight’s Timberwolves game will mark the franchises first postseason contest since May 31, 2004.

With eight-seeded Minnesota taking on the top-seeded Houston Rockets, many people don’t see the series reaching a fifth game. Unless there is something wrong with my vision (better than 20/20. no big deal), those individuals are confused and/or under the influence.

First of all, Sunday’s Timberwolves team will be better than their regular season record suggests. This season, Minnesota finished 10-13 without Jimmy Butler. When Butler was in the lineup (as he will be tonight), they went 37-22. If you translate the 62.7 W/L percentage over those 59 games to the entire season, Tom Thibodeau’s squad would have finished third in the Western Conference.

Secondly, the Rockets aren’t your typical one-seed. Despite what the standings suggest, Golden State (Steph Curry was cutting all over the place during his Saturday workouts. Chef was looking spry.) owns not only the West, but the entire league.

Also, and possibly most important, the difference between regular season and playoff basketball strongly plays against Mike D’Antoni’s, innovative approach.


Damn. Let the above sample size soak in for a second. D’Antoni is a regular attendee of the “Playoff Struggles” convention.

The Rockets coach is the originator of the “Seven Seconds or Less” offense. In Layman’s terms, that strategy emphasis an extremely up-tempo style of play that includes an aggressive amount of three-point FG attempts. The approach has completely revolutionized today’s NBA.

The amount other franchises incorporate D’Antoni’s philosophy varies. On other side of the fence, the Rockets coach is all in on the approach. When you look at his 232-96 record during his four seasons (2004-05 through 2007-08) in Phoenix, it’s obvious to see why.

However, as indicated by his 32-38 career playoff record, that success doesn’t translate past the regular season. Despite the court dimensions remaining the same, play tightens up this time of year. The fast-pace, patented offense is less likely to catch a defense off-guard. That plethora of three-point attempts will be more contested than they were in the winter (I know there’s a blizzard outside but I promise it’s mid-April).

No matter what the cause is, D’Antoni’s Suns teams speak for themselves. Steve Nash and his back-to-back MVP trophies never got past the Western Conference Finals.

SIDEBAR: That Mike guy either has a real worry-free life or he needs to evaluate his priorities.

In this circumstance, on top of D’Antoni playoff woes, the injury to defensive specialist (and former Timberwolf) Luc Mbah a Moute could hurt Houston more than perceived from afar. While he’s not James Harden or Chris Paul, playing without the defensive-minded UCLA alum doesn’t help the 66 year-old coaches cause.

Speaking of Harden and Paul, how have those two done in the postseason?

Okay, okay. I don’t know about you guys/gals, but I’m ready to f*cken dance.

Tip is at 8PM (TNT). See ya then.

Johnny Minnesota (@TheJohnnyMN)
MinnesotaSportsFan.com

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/dantoni-paul-and-hardens-playoff-histories-tell-us-timberwolves-can-win-series/feed/ 0 Tue, 16 Apr 2024 03:45:39 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves Bjelica Dodges Afflalo Haymaker Tuesday as Players Across NBA are Losing Grip https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/bjelica-dodges-afflalo-haymaker/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/bjelica-dodges-afflalo-haymaker/#respond Wed, 17 Jan 2018 04:25:33 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=7081

Directions: Press Play on the Below Video:

Let em go, refs! I know the game was in Orlando, but the Wolves are from the State of Hockey. They’re ready.

That mindset might not be politically correct, but at this moment, I don’t even care. The “Minneapolis Miracle” has me feeling like Nemenjia Bjelcia when Aaron Afflalo swung on him. Untouchable.

After a skirmish in the second quarter that resulted in Bjelly and Afflalo receiving technicals, things only escalated a few minutes later.

Both players were immediately ejected for the footage you saw above. I’m unsure about our Serbian sniper, but the Magic guard most certainly will be suspended for his George Foreman inspired haymaker. You could make the argument that Bjelicia shouldn’t have thrown that hammer-punch right at the end, but still. That looked like self-defense.

Some seem to think the Wolves’ forward got lucky because Afflalo is from Compton. Who’s to say that’s a harder place to grow up than Serbia? Certainly not my geographically uneducated ass.

With the league’s players currently going through the dog days of their respective season, tensions are at an all time high. The Bjelicia/Afflalo confrontation came one day after one of the more weird NBA events to happen in recent memory.

Well, that was pretty weird, but it’s not what I’m referring to.

After being traded to the Rockets over the summer, Chris Paul made his return to Los Angeles on Monday. It’s no secret that he and his former teammate, Blake Griffin, have animosity towards one another. CP3’s first game back at Staples Center to play the Clippers was heated.

After Griffin got ejected and the contest ceased, the two teams had an after party. Paul and a couple of his Rocket teammates tried to gain entry to the Clippers locker room. Apparently, that was through some back door that the PG, who’s also the President of the Players Union, knew about.

Outside of the fact CP3 and company were in pursuit of Blake Griffin AND Austin Rivers, the exact details of how it all played out aren’t entirely clear. However, one that thing is clear, the cops were called. Actually. The police showed up.

The last few days have been such a damn blur. Per my conscience’s recommendation, I’ve been trying to document as much of it as possible…

Best Things I Saw on January 16, 2018:

  1. More Skol Nation reaction videos.
  2. Sean Payton memes/gifs/etc.
  3. Bjelly dodge the Afflalo punch
  4. The replay of Shaq and Charles Barkley when they found out about the Chris Paul scenario:

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/minnesota-timberwolves/bjelica-dodges-afflalo-haymaker/feed/ 0 Wed, 17 Jan 2018 07:54:09 +0000 Minnesota Timberwolves