Chris Paul Injury: Updates on Clippers Star's Thumb and Return

Alec NathanJan 16, 2017

Los Angeles Clippers guard

Chris Paul suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury will require surgery, according to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register.

Latest on Paul's Timeline for Return

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Paul is expected to miss six to eight weeks, per Woike.

Paul X-Rays Results Revealed

Monday, Jan. 16

X-rays on Paul's thumb were negative, according to Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com.

Paul scored eight points and recorded six assists and three rebounds in 14 minutes before exiting.

Paul Remains the Most Important Player for Clippers

Paul's orchestrated L.A.'s offense beautifully throughout the 2016-17 campaign, and he's been invaluable as a distributor and scorer.

Through 35 games entering Monday, Paul is averaging 17.7 points and 9.8 assists while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range, but those numbers don't tell the full story.

Paul has generated a fourth-ranked 22.7 points per game via assists, per NBA.com's player-tracking data, and he's shredded defenses by shooting over 54 percent on drives.

However, Paul hasn't been immune to injuries. He suffered a mild left hamstring strain Dec. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs, and while it wasn't a significant ailment, it was a cause for concern after he missed a pair of games during the 2015 postseason because of a hamstring injury.

With Paul out, the Clippers will have to employ a platoon approach at point guard to make up for his absence.

Raymond Felton will see a substantial increase in playing time at the 1, while both Austin Rivers and Jamal Crawford should take on additional ball-handling duties to help spread the playmaking responsibilities around.