Why the Suns will have to rely on Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, not Devin Booker, to continue winning without Chris Paul
Paul is set to miss at least 6-8 weeks and although no one talks about it, Bridges and Johnson are the underrated stars of this 48-10 team
Chris Paul and Devin Booker are both amazing and have elevated this team over the past two years to perennial championship contenders. Paul (who is out for two months) leads the league in assists with a 10.7 per game average, while Booker is on a scoring stretch where he has put up 30 points in nine out of his last fifteen games. Paul and Booker have bullied defenses so far this season with Paul’s elite playmaking and defense, and Booker’s ability to score at will.
However, even though Paul and Booker are undisputedly the two best and most important players on this Suns team, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson are underappreciated in the impact they have on this team, and advanced statistics can prove it.
Bridges owns averages of 13.4 points and 1.2 steals per game with an eFG% of 60 (a league-best for non-centers), a TS% of 62.3, and a 3PT% of just under 37, while Johnson owns averages of 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds with an eFG% of 59.8 (second-best in the NBA behind Bridges for non-centers), a TS% of 62.2, and a 3PT% of 43 (5th in the NBA).
Both Bridges and Johnson have been the two most efficient non-centers in the NBA this season and they are both on the same team. Efficiency comes from taking good shots and getting open, something Paul is arguably the best in the NBA (with LeBron James) at setting up for his teammates. Therefore, it remains to be seen how Bridges and Johnson will fare without Paul being at the helm of the point guard position.
Paul has played in all 58 games so far this season and the whole team has flourished because of it. Paul was once known for having durability issues (numerous injuries for the Clippers and Rockets including one in the infamous 2015 NBA Western Conference Finals where Paul missed a crucial game 7 against the eventual NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and his impact and durability was questioned thereafter).
In fact, Paul played in only 58 games in each of his two seasons for the Houston Rockets in 2017 and 2018, a feat he has already accomplished this season at the All-Star break. Paul also played in 70 games each of the last two seasons for Oklahoma City and Phoenix.
However, Paul is also 36 years of age and even though he is having one of his best seasons ever, he shouldn’t be relied upon to be available at all times because of his age. That is the unfortunate truth of the situation.
We know that even without Paul, Ayton will continue to score inside and be an elite rebounder, Booker will score 25+ points per game, while Bridges and Johnson will play elite defense to go along with the rest of the team. What we don’t know is how Bridges’ and Johnson’s scoring and efficiency will be affected during this two-month stretch since both of these young players have played with Chris Paul for over a year and a half now without being accustomed to Paul missing many games.
Furthermore, the guys that will determine whether or not this team continues to win a lot of games will be Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, as we, NBA fans, will see how they adjust to playing without Paul over the next eight weeks.
The Suns have won 20 of their last 22 games entering the All-Star break, and without Chris Paul, they will not continue to win at this rate. That is a guarantee and is why Paul was in the MVP conversation before his injury. However, this stretch of games without Paul may end up being good for the development of Booker, Ayton, Bridges, and Johnson, as they will now learn how to play without Paul just in case Paul’s injury lingers (which is highly likely considering his age).
Nonetheless, this team can still win a lot of games down the stretch to secure home-field advantage and the #1 seed in the Western Conference, but they will have to get similar or even increased production from Bridges and Johnson to do so. Are these two young players up for the challenge?