Chris Paul may have been playing in Sunday’s All-Star Game, but do not expect to see him on the court for the Phoenix Suns until the playoffs.
The Suns guard was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture in his right thumb and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks.
Paul decided to play on Sunday as the All-Star Game is not the most physical of exhibition games you’ll see.
But Paul’s injury does add intrigue to the Western Conference playoff race.
The Suns currently hold a 6.5 game lead on the Golden State Warriors for the No. 1 seed. Without Paul, who is averaging 14.9 points and a league-high 10.7 assists per game, it’s plausible that the Warriors could close in on the Suns for the top spot.
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The NBA regular season also ends in seven weeks. If Paul is out the maximum eight weeks, he could potentially miss time in the first round of the playoffs, depending on how things progress.
Needless to say, the race at the top of the Western Conference got a whole lot more interesting.
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