Warriors sixth man Chris Paul — who has been a key part of the Golden State rotation, lifting up the bench units and taking some of the shot-creation load off Stephen Curry — must undergo surgery to repair a fractured left hand and will be out indefinitely.
Paul was injured in the third quarter of the Warriors’ win over the Pistons Friday, when he went for an offensive rebound and ran into Jaden Ivey.
Chris Paul went to the locker room after appearing to injure his hand on this play pic.twitter.com/phKrunsV9s
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) January 6, 2024
Paul immediately left the game, went back to the locker room, and the team announced postgame he would need surgery. The Warriors gave no timeline for his return.
Jeff Stotts of InStreetClotes said how long CP3 is out will depend on which metacarpal bone is broken in the hand, adding that the average missed time was about 17.5 games. However, Stephen Curry missed 58 games when he broke his metacarpal.
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said postgame, via Ali Thanawalla NBC Sports Bay Area. “I feel so bad for Chris. I know he’s had a couple of hand surgeries before, I believe. Maybe, I think it was on the other hand. I saw him holding it and instantly was worried, and so I just got the word after walking off the floor. So I feel terrible for Chris and obviously, guys will step up and be ready to play and we’ve gotta hold down the fort without him.”
CP3 has had injuries to both hands and that includes surgery on his left thumb, Stotts reported.
Re: CP3: Paul has a lengthy history of hand and finger injuries, including surgeries on his left and right thumb for ligament tears. He also suffered a fractured 3rd metacarpal in his right hand during the 2016 playoffs that ended his season and required surgery. 1/3
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) January 6, 2024
Paul has averaged 8.9 points and 7.2 assists a game this season, and the team is +8.9 points per 100 possessions when he is on the court.
Kerr said this would mean more minutes for Moses Moody, who reportedly has been frustrated about inconsistent playing time and being in and out of the rotation (but has handled that professionally).