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Suns' Chris Paul Suggests He Could Miss Time with Thumb Injury After All-Star Break
February 19, 2022
Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul suggested Saturday that he could miss some time after undergoing an MRI on his right hand Thursday.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Suns haven't released the results of Paul's MRI, but CP3 said the following regarding his status: "We're 48-10 and if we do miss some time, I know the guys are going to hold it down. There's always going to be a frustration with injury. My hand surgeon is part of my family now."
At the same time, Paul didn't rule himself out of Sunday's NBA All-Star Game despite having his hand wrapped in a cast during Saturday's practice.
Paul suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wednesday's 124-121 win over the Houston Rockets. Per ESPN, Paul received a technical foul after expressing anger over jamming his hand. He then received a second tech and was tossed from the game after bumping into referee J.T. Orr.
ESPN also reported that Suns guard Devin Booker said Paul was "fine" after the game and didn't expect the hand injury to keep CP3 out of the All-Star Game.
The 36-year-old Paul is enjoying another strong season for the Suns, averaging 14.9 points, an NBA-leading 10.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. He is also shooting 48.7 percent from the floor and 33.0 percent from beyond the arc.
With Paul leading the way, the Suns own the best record in the NBA at 48-10 and are in the midst of a seven-game winning streak.
The 12-time All-Star reached the NBA Finals for the first time last season, but Phoenix fell to the Milwaukee Bucks. Given how they have played this season, the Suns are strong candidates to play for a championship again.
While Paul is the straw that stirs the drink, the future Hall of Famer is far from the only reason for Phoenix's success.
Booker, who is also an All-Star, is leading the team with 25.5 points per game. Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson have all been key contributors as well.
Phoenix doesn't play again until next Thursday, which will give Paul some time to rest if he chooses to miss the All-Star Game.
If Paul is forced to miss any action coming out of the break, the recently acquired Aaron Holiday will be the top candidate to take on his minutes.
That role would normally go to Cameron Payne, but he has been out since late January due to a wrist injury.