Warriors' Chris Paul fractures hand vs. Pistons, will reportedly miss 4-6 weeks
The Golden State Warriors' trying season got a bit worse Friday, as veteran guard Chris Paul fractured his left hand in a game against the Detroit Pistons.
The team announced Paul will undergo surgery next week. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Sunday that Paul is expectd to miss four-to-six weeks.
The injury occurred in a freak accident during the third quarter, when Paul ran toward the paint while going for a rebound after a 3-point miss. He was in clear pain after his hand collided into Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, and soon left for the locker room.
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
The Warriors, who won the game 113-109, announced minutes later he would not return to the game.
Going off the 38-year-old Paul's own count in 2021, this will be the fifth hand surgery he has undergone in his career, though not all of them have been on the same hand. His most famous was when he broke his right hand with the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2016 playoffs.
"That's tough. I feel so bad for Chris. I know he's had a couple of hand surgeries before, I believe. Maybe it was on the other hand. So I'm holding it and instantly was worried. Just got the word after walking off the floor. I feel terrible for Chris and obviously guys will step up and be ready to play. We've got to hold down the fort without him."
Paul is in his first season with the Warriors after joining the team via the trade that sent Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns and Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. While the Warriors faced questions about Paul's fit given that they already had a future Hall of Famer at point guard in Stephen Curry, Paul proved to be a decent addition for what he is at this stage in his career: a high-IQ ball distributor who can still make 3-pointers at a decent clip and provide pressure on defense.
Paul has started in 10 of 31 games for the Warriors this season and will leave a significant hole in a team that was already seeing some trying times. Even with the win over the 3-32 Pistons, Golden State's record sits at 17-18 with Draymond Green still indefinitely suspended and Gary Payton II out several weeks with a hamstring injury.
