Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul suffered a hand injury and was diagnosed with a right thumb avulsion fracture and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
If it is not affected by the epidemic and the international situation, this season’s regular season will end on April 10, and the playoffs will officially start on April 16, with only about seven weeks left. This means that CP3 may miss the next schedule, which is not good news for the Suns, who are defending the top spot in the league.
Further reading:Chris Paul’s Road to “God”?A look back at CP3’s doomed playoff struggles
“The team has been hampered by injuries this year, lost a lot of players, and has been interrupted by a lot of things that have nothing to do with basketball,” coach Monty Williams said after the All-Star break.Help Team LeBron win。
“It’s a very stupid thing to face the season with the mentality of ‘no adversity’. So although we hate injuries, we still have to prepare for this situation.”
Williams mentioned that since the injury was to CP3, the impact was extraordinary. But thinking about it from another angle, he is optimistic that this is an opportunity to “strengthen the team” and allow other players to develop more confidence. When Paul returns, the Suns will be a better team than they are now.
Further reading:All-Star Game Coach Monty Williams: On the Road to All-Star Game(Fantasy field of view)
The Suns currently have a record of 48 wins and 10 losses, leading the league with a winning percentage of over 80%. The 36-year-old assist king, Chris Paul, is a major contributor, averaging 14.9 points, 10.7 assists and 1.9 interceptions per game. There is no trace of the years left on him – until he accidentally injured his finger during the game and was ejected for contradicting the referee. Appearance.
He was injured in the third quarter against the Rockets on February 17, and when he exited the game, he held his fingers, showing considerable pain.It was four days before the All-Star Game, and both he and Devin BookerSelected for this year’s All-Star。
Not long ago he said on JJ Redick’s talk show “I don’t like the feeling of having an MRI“I didn’t expect to have to face this uncomfortable thing so soon.
Further reading:How do you pass the ball and blow up? What the hell happened to CP3’s fingers?(belly)
On the day of the All-Star Game, CP3 was still on the court. He appeared with 3:49 left in the first quarter, letting starter DeMar DeRozan return to the bench to rest.
In the next time, Paul guarded his teammate Booker in the Suns, used a pass to find Jimmy Butler in ambush in the corner, and also tried to layup with his left hand, but unfortunately missed.
Rudy Gobert grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Paul. The coaching staff called a timeout, and when the game resumed, Paul was left on the bench until the end of the game.
“He wanted to play, so we let him play for a minute or two,” Williams explained why CP3 only played a short 2:19 that day before he had to rehab as planned.
“I’m really grateful to have him in the lounge. Chris’s importance cannot be overstated, he always brings me unique experience and wisdom, and is very competitive, but now I have to plan practice times with him, which It’s unprecedented.”
Williams said he would love to see him play, but the injury happened so unfortunately, the team can only try to help him recover and move forward.
As for Chris Paul himself, who was also asked related questions, he admitted that the current situation made him frustrated. After all, he tried so hard to avoid it, but he still couldn’t hide from the unexpected.
“Assuming we make some mistakes in the following games, I know the teammates can still hold on.”
“I always want to play, and for all sorts of reasons, I’m feeling a little pissed off right now. But at the same time, I also understand that it can’t be rushed, so I’m going to try to get it right as quickly as possible. –I promise to be there when it’s time to play.”
Further reading:From Denial to Acceptance – Stephen Curry’s Journey to Rehabilitation
In the first two seasons, Chris Paul played 70 regular-season games in the Thunder and Suns each, and this season he has played in 58 games so far, but now Williams and the coaching staff can only work out an alternative plan as soon as possible to survive without CP3. second half.
So what would happen to the sun without Paul? We saw it once in the playoffs last year, and the team has the ability to step up without him.
In the 2021 Western Conference Finals, Chris Paul was forced to miss the first two games because he tested positive for COVID-19, while the Suns won two games at home and took the lead in leading the series 2-0. Win by 2 and advance to the NBA Championship.
When Paul was not around, Cameron Payne, who was on the bench, was pulled into the starting lineup. He scored 40 points and 18 assists in the two games, filling the team’s vacancy in time. Paul’s importance is irreplaceable, but Payne, who is familiar with the solar system, is still reassuring as a firefighting team, and it is estimated that he will take on the heavy responsibility this time.