Title windows often open and close quickly in professional sports. Father Time remains undefeated, and there are no guarantees of sustained success in a world where free-agent departures and significant injuries are so prevalent.
Amid a cluster of thrilling and not-so-thrilling Game 7s in the NBA and the NHL over the weekend, we saw one star-studded team — the NHL’s Penguins — that finally could see a prolonged run of championships and playoff berths coming to an end with a fourth consecutive first-round (or earlier) exit cemented with an OT loss to the Rangers. We also saw a top-tier NBA squad that experienced a meteoric rise over the past couple of seasons — the Suns — fully look as if it already has missed its best chance to capture the elusive first title in franchise history.
The Suns’ acquisition of ring-chasing point guard Chris Paul felt like a perfect marriage upon his arrival last season, and he helped lead their improvement from a 34-39 record in the COVID bubble 2019-20 season to a 51-21 mark and an eye-popping run to the NBA Finals.
Adding Paul to a group featuring rising star guard Devin Booker and center Deandre Ayton — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft — felt like a final-piece move for the Suns and the best chance for Paul to finally cop the first title of a 17-year Hall of Fame career that has featured 12 All-Star appearances.
