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‘Survival of the the Fittest’: Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker Spills Tea About His First Heated Practice With Chris Paul

Published 07/06/2021, 12:45 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The Phoenix Suns have a lot to be thankful for this season but if there is one thing that trumps everything else, it was their decision to bring in Chris Paul to the franchise. Who knew that a team that went undefeated in the Orlando Bubble would be propelled to reach the NBA Finals the next time fans would see them on the court? And if it wasn’t for Chris Paul, this would never have been possible.

Chris Paul and Devin Booker’s first practice together

The Suns’ superstar Devin Booker needed someone to rely on and he found just that in CP3. Although their partnership on the court is seamless, it wasn’t that way when they started off. In a recent interview, Booker opened up about the tensions they had during practices before.

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He said, “I used to try bringing him to the post, every time he used to switch on me. So, while we’re walking down to the post, he would be like, ‘I am not going for that, I am not going for that.”

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However, this eventually came to an end because Booker would still score on him and Paul would be able to defend too. But they also got into it with each other in their first practice as a team.

Devin revealed, “We were doing a 3-on-3 drill, and it was kind of like the survival of the fittest mindset. I don’t think it’s really about to throw hands, but you know the closest thing you can do without doing it.”

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The Phoenix Suns duo are better with each other than without

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Booker rose to another level with Chris on his side, especially in the playoffs. In fact, the entire offense of the Suns has changed since CP3 came in. As he makes his way to the NBA Finals, Booker is averaging 27 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists. He is now 34% from downtown and is shooting 44% from the field.

Even though the roster around Paul is filled with youngsters, his veteran leadership has played a vital role in their success. If inexperience is what Suns’ fans are worried about, they shouldn’t be. Because their rivals, Milwaukee Bucks haven’t played in the Finals since 1974.

USA Today via Reuters

Hence, Paul, who has far more experience, will play a big role in how this turns out for them. Well, only time can tell how leaning on CP3 will turn out for Suns.

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Written by:

Yashima Bhatia

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Yashima Bhatia is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports who specialises in providing nuanced predictions and updates for matches. She has a Bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Yashima's love for playing the game came up at a young age, when the excitement of the games coupled with the intensity of the Playoffs had her hooked.
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