The Suns lost to the Pelicans in the playoffs, leaving the two teams tied 2-2 on aggregate, and in the absence of Booker, Paul alone could not solve the problem of insufficient scoring ability. But Booker will not return until at least a week later. Arguably, Paul and his Suns will most likely complete the first-round series against the Pelicans without Booker.
If the Pelicans can always play the defensive intensity of G4, Then Paul's Suns will be more fierce. Although Paul once said he would stand up and take over the game when it was time to score, in G4, pelicans double guard Alvarado and rookie Herbert Jones really locked up 37-year-old Paul. Look at the statistics, paul only hit 2 of 8 shots in 35 minutes, 0 of 3 three-pointers, and didn't even have a single free throw.
Paul scored just a pitiful 4 points, three rebounds and 11 assists. 11 assists is normal for Paul, but the problem now is that in addition to assists, Paul should stand up and output firepower, relying only on the inside Ayton to chisel in one ball at a time, and there is no chance to beat the young and energetic Pelicans.
The Pelicans' double guard made a contribution, and although Joseph Alvarado only had 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist in 18 minutes, his tough close-knit defense made Paul feel bad, and even a dribble could not pass the half.
As a rookie in the second round, Herbert Jones was even more brilliant in this game. Jones contributed 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals, as well as 3 very bright blocks, and there was not a single mistake in the whole game. The data does not reflect the intensity of his defense against Paul, can shoot three points can also defend, I have to say that Jones is one of the strongest 3D outside the rookie this year.
As we all know, the best rookie has been awarded to raptors forward Barnes, but the best rookie lineup has not been announced for a while, Cunningham, Barnes and Mobley should be an ironclad 3-man combination, and magic forward Wagner Jr. is also likely to occupy a place. In the final one position, the Rockets' Jaylen Green will compete with the Pelicans' Jones. But now, although Jaylen Green's data is good, his Rockets have not made it to the playoffs at all.
But what about Jones? Not only did the Pelicans enter the playoffs, but the Pelicans also played back and forth with the Suns, the number one in the league, and didn't fall behind at all. After the end of G4, the Pelicans already have a psychological advantage, and it is not impossible to complete the "Black Eight Miracle" to eliminate the Suns. Jones, the Pelicans' starting guard, is much better than Jaylen Green without looking at the stats alone for his contribution to the win.
Being able to lock paul up in the game is a "plus" for Herbert Jones in a competition. Although a bout of judging only looks at the performance of the regular season, the playoffs play, subtly, also gives the judges a hint that Jones' performance seems to be better than Jaylen Green. For Jaylen Green, in the recent best rookie selection, although he finally scored 3 points and Jones only had 1 point, in the playoff performance, Green's single score was blank, and Jones wrote a big book.
Now Green is under a lot of pressure in the best rookie selection, because he can't personally appear in the playoffs, so the Rockets' supernova has been passive in this selection. Exactly who spent the quota on is now more and more confusing.