Chris Paul is putting on a masterful performance in the NBA Playoffs that Killian Hayes of the Detroit Pistons should be studying.
Paul is one of the greatest point guards of all time, so any young point guard could learn a lot by watching him play, especially in these playoffs where Paul has been fantastic and is leading the Phoenix Suns into the Western Conference Finals.
In fact, the Suns should give Pistons’ fans hope that things can turn around quickly if you build around a young star and add the right pieces.
But there are specific things Killian Hayes can glean by watching the savvy veteran Chris Paul. Here are three things he can pick up from these playoffs.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes can control the tempo of the game
If you watch any Chris Paul film he always looks in control of the game. The speed only goes as fast or as slow as he lets it and he is brilliant at knowing when to speed things up or slow it down.
Paul isn’t lightning quick anymore, so he uses his body to shield defenders and is an absolute genius in the pick-and-roll.
Paul knows when to attack out of the p-n-r and his deadly mid-range game makes him very difficult to stop. You either have to give him that shot or allow him into the paint where he can deliver lobs or kick it out to open shooters.
Killian Hayes is not super quick either, and has shown some ability in the pick-and-roll. He is not there as a shooter (more on that later) but he is very good at the type of change-of-pace moves that Paul utilizes to make space for himself.
Killian Hayes can eventually be deadly in the pick-and-roll but there is plenty he can learn from watching Chris Paul, who runs it as well as anyone in NBA history.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes needs to reduce his turnovers
Chris Paul takes care of the ball as well as any point guard I’ve ever watched. He’s been unbelievable in these playoffs, especially considering how much he has the ball in his hands.
Paul has racked up 87 assists in the playoffs so far while only turning the ball over 14 times, better than a 6:1 assist to turnover ratio, which is crazy considering his usage rate is nearly 25 percent for the Suns.
Killian Hayes, on the other hand, had just 138 assists this season with 83 turnovers, good for a 1.6:1 assist to turnover ratio, which is pretty pedestrian.
Part of this is because Hayes need to shoot more, as his reluctance to shoot often led to him making poor decisions with the ball or jumping before he knew what he wanted to do with it.
Hayes can definitely make the spectacular pass, as we saw many times this season, particularly in transition where his vision and pinpoint accuracy are elite.
But he needs to get better at taking care of the ball in the half court, to not rush his game and instead let the action move around him as Paul does.
Detroit Pistons: Killian Hayes should focus on the mid-range
Chris Paul is showing that analytics aren’t everything when it comes to shooting. The numbers can prove that the 3-point shot is a more efficient way to get points, unless of course you shoot like Chris Paul.
Paul has always been a pretty average 3-point shooter, though he has shot over 40 percent a few times in his career, albeit on a fairly low volume.
Paul makes his money in the mid-range, knocking down 12-15 foot jumpers all day and absolutely punishing teams that try to go under picks in his mid-range pick-and-roll.
Paul was a terrible 3-point shooter in his rookie season, hitting just 28 percent, but was able to improve to be an above-average shooter from beyond the arc.
Hayes was also awful from long range in his rookie season, and though he does need to improve over time as Paul did, he should focus on his mid-range and penetration first.
Hayes has the size and skill to get into the lane anytime he wants, and if he more aggressively looks for his mid-range shots and floaters, it will open up the offense for the Detroit Pistons.
Chris Paul is a guy Killian Hayes should study, as he can learn a lot about what it takes to be a winning point guard.