SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul suffered a fracture in his left hand and will undergo surgery next week, the team announced Friday night.
Paul suffered the injury midway through the third quarter of the Warriors' 113-109 win over the Detroit Pistons. With 6:06 remaining in the third period, Paul attempted to collect a long rebound off a missed 3-pointer when his hand made awkward contact with Detroit's Jaden Ivey.
Paul immediately began to grab and bend his hand and went back to the locker room. There is no timetable for his return, but he is expected to return this season.
“This is tough,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I feel so bad for Chris. I know he's had a couple of surgeries on his hand before, I think, maybe on the other hand. I saw him holding it and I was immediately concerned. I got word after he got off the ground. So I feel terrible for Chris Obviously, the players will step up and be ready to play. We have to hold down the fort without him. “
Paul, a 19-year veteran, has a long history of injuries, 11 of which were hand injuries — five to his left and six to his right. He has undergone four hand or wrist surgeries, most recently on his left wrist after appearing in the 2021 NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns.
“I feel bad for him. I know he's been through some things in his career,” Stephen Curry said. “We're trying to find the groove as a team…and he's been a big part of that.”
Paul is averaging nine points on 42.1% field goal shooting and 7.3 assists in 27.7 minutes. He has had three games with 10 assists and zero turnovers this season, second-most in the NBA behind Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton.
Paul has started the past four games after serving as the second unit's anchor. The move was made to try to help keep Stephen Curry off the ball more – something that has become crucial as Draymond Green serves an indefinite suspension.
“Especially over the last two years or so, I'm able to adapt to whatever is out there. I know that's another challenge now going back to another different lineup with CP out,” Curry said. “I have to be able to make adjustments, and Klay has to do the same, for us to stay aggressive.”
Paul's playmaking and ball control will be what the Warriors will miss most. When Paul is on the court, the Warriors have a turnover rate of 13.2%, which is 10th in the NBA. This jumps to 16.2% when he is away, which ranks last.
His 6.1 assists percentage this season is also second best in the league, behind only Tyus Jones.
“He's a very intelligent player,” Curry said. “He knows how to run the game, and he got us organized. We went through a tough stretch where we had some rough starts. Obviously that's because of Draymond's absence and how different we are as a team trying to run our system. CP is a great addition to that flow.”
The Warriors are also missing guard Gary Payton II, who will be out indefinitely with a left hamstring injury.
Now, the Warriors will rely more on Brandon Podziemski and Cory Joseph. Before Paul moved into the starting lineup on December 30, Podzemski was part of that group
Paul's absence will also open up more opportunities for Musa Modi, who has been sidelined for the past six matches. Prior to playing five and a half minutes against Detroit, Moody was listed as “DNP” for the previous three games.
“Everyone has to step up a little bit,” Podzemski said. “It's going to take a team effort, just like it did tonight. Corey and Moses, they gave us a big boost in the third and fourth quarters and that's really what kept us ahead during that period.”
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