Paul could miss three weeks or a month
After further evaluation on Saturday, New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul(notes) is expected to be on crutches for two weeks and could miss three weeks to a month with a severely sprained left ankle, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
There was no structural damage found in an MRI administered on Saturday, but the severity of the sprain pushed back the original belief on Friday night that Paul could return within one to two weeks.
“It’s just really sore right now,” a source said.
Nevertheless, Paul is hopeful that aggressive treatment and sheer determination can speed up the timetable and get him back to the Hornets as quickly as possible. The Hornets are 3-7, and must now turn to rookie point guard Darren Collison and third-string Bobby Brown. The Hornets traveled to Atlanta for a game on Saturday night.
“Even with the bad situation, his attitude is not “Why bother?” one source said. “It’s his team and he knows that. He doesn’t want to let anyone down. He’s determined to get back as fast as he can.”
Paul injured the ankle when he appeared to land on Blazers center Joel Przybilla(notes) in the third quarter. After clutching his ankle in pain, Paul was eventually helped off the court and to the locker room by his teammates.
Paul's injury was the latest setback for the Hornets, who fired Byron Scott as coach on Thursday and replaced him with general manager Jeff Bower. Paul had grown close to Scott and was upset by his dismissal.
