Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul is poised to return to the court this Tuesday against the Washington Wizards, potentially providing a boost amid the team’s NBA playoff hopes.
Paul has been sidelined since January 5 due to a fractured left hand, which required surgical intervention following an incident in a game against the Detroit Pistons. The injury occurred as Paul attempted to secure a rebound, resulting in his hand colliding with Jaden Ivey.
This incident adds to Paul’s history of hand injuries throughout his career. In his debut season with the Warriors, Paul has participated in 32 games, averaging 8.9 points, 7.2 assists, and shooting 42.4% from the field in 27.6 minutes per game.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr plans to integrate Paul into the game by covering minutes when Stephen Curry is not on the floor and pairing him with Curry to alleviate some of the physical demands on the latter. “Chris will play all of the non-Steph minutes, and he’ll be out there with Steph as well,” Kerr remarked after their recent game against the Nuggets.
Paul’s return is timely for Golden State, which has been adjusting its lineup, notably with Klay Thompson adopting a role off the bench.
The team is eager to see how the dynamic between Paul and Thompson can bolster their bench’s performance, though how the minutes will be distributed among the players remains to be seen.
Thompson expressed enthusiasm about the duo’s potential impact, stating, “You can’t really ask for a better backcourt to come off the bench. It’s very exciting.”
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