NBA Notebook: Chris Paul's play has been on point

The NBA has taken center stage in the sports world with the 2021 NBA Finals underway. And no one's happier about that than the Phoenix Suns, who are just three wins away from their first title in franchise history following a dominant 118-105 victory in Game 1.

Let’s take a look at the biggest stories from around the league in this week’s edition of our NBA Notebook.

Chris Paul’s play has been on point

Chris Paul had never played in a Finals until Tuesday night, and to put it simply, he balled out on debut.

Paul has now scored 73 points in his last two games, which is tied for the most points he has ever scored over any two-game stretch in his entire career. It's an impressive testament to the type of competitor Paul is, rising to the occasion and scoring both from outside and in. In the third quarter of Game 1, Paul made a three, drove for a layup, and then hit another three in three consecutive possessions. It was a takeover that effectively put the game out of reach.

Paul has battled injuries, criticism, and bad luck through these playoffs and over the past several years, but there can be no doubt he is an offensive genius that has positioned the Suns as decisive favorites in these Finals. If his high-quality play continues, look for the Suns to hoist their first trophy soon.

Suns win, but lose Dario Saric

Amidst the excitement of Phoenix's big Game 1 win, there was an unfortunate injury to Suns forward Dario Saric, who tore his ACL in an awkward play and is now out indefinitely.

The seventh-leading scorer for the Suns through the regular season, Saric offered depth when feisty veteran Jae Crowder needed a breather and/or got into foul trouble. The Suns will not see a significant drop-off with his departure, but it's one more injury in a postseason that has been full of them.

Play-In Tournament Expected to Return

Due to the shortened season that cut 10 games off the typical NBA regular season schedule, the NBA elected in 2021 to stage a play-in tournament. It provided normal security to the first six seeds in each conference, but provided an additional element of risk to those in the seventh and eighth spots. It also gave additional opportunity to the teams in the ninth and 10th spots, which in theory widened both the possible matchups and level of interest throughout the league.

According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the league expects to continue the play-in tournament next season, stating that it was "very positive" for the league and its players. Some players critiqued the tournament at the time, but it did provide a heightened sense of urgency to those games and was more interesting for the average fan than a standard 1 vs. 8 seed matchup.

Trade and Free Agency Season is heating up

For the 28 teams not playing in the NBA Finals, the offseason has already begun. That means trade season, free agency season, and draft season. It is a time to reconstruct rosters, build for the future, or make a splash with a big acquisition.

Some of the biggest names to keep an eye on this season include Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Ben Simmons, John Collins, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Reggie Jackson. Each of these players will be followed closely and pursued strongly by various general managers. Kemba Walker and Al Horford were the first two former All-Stars to switch teams following the conclusion of their teams’ seasons, but there will be more. The next month will provide plenty to watch by way of trade rumors and speculation.