Chris Paul returning for Warriors after hand injury, surgery on Tuesday vs. Wizards
Chris Paul is finally ready to get back on the court.
Paul, after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured left hand earlier this year, is set to play for the Golden State Warriors in their game against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, head coach Steve Kerr confirmed.
Paul hasn’t played since he sustained his broken hand on Jan. 5, which led to surgery days later.
“Chris will play all of the non-Steph minutes, and he’ll be out there with Steph as well,” Kerr said on Sunday night after their loss to the Denver Nuggets. “It’s easier for us to put Steph off the ball and take some of the wear and tear off of him when Chris is out there.”
Paul went down in the Warriors’ win over the Pistons in January after he awkwardly collided into Detroit guard Jaden Ivey. Paul was trying to grab a rebound, but immediately grabbed at his hand and doubled over as the play went the other way. He eventually left the court and walked to the locker room.
Paul underwent surgery days later, which marked the fifth hand surgery of his career.
Paul has played in 32 games this season for Golden State, his first with the franchise after he spent the last three seasons with the Phoenix Suns. The 19-year veteran has averaged 8.9 points and 7.2 assists mostly off the bench this season. He’ll continue to do so the rest of the way alongside Klay Thompson, who has transitioned into a bench role lately.
“I expect Chris to be himself,” Thompson said. “That’s just one of the greatest playmakers, a testy defender and [he can] just kind of right the ship when Steph needs a break. It’s very exciting. I’m excited to step on the floor with him and lead that second unit. You can’t really ask for a better backcourt to come off the bench with.”
The Warriors enter Tuesday’s game in Washington with a 29-27 record, which has them in 10th in the Western Conference standings. They have won two of three games coming out of the All-Star break and are kicking off a four-game East Coast road trip on Tuesday night.
