Kendra Andrews, ESPN January 6, 2024, 1:28 a.m. ET
SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul has broken his left hand and will undergo surgery next week, the team announced Friday evening.
Paul suffered the injury midway through the third quarter of the Warriors' 113-109 victory over the Detroit Pistons. With 6:06 left in the third period, Paul was trying to grab a long rebound on a missed 3-pointer when his hand awkwardly made contact with Detroit's Jaden Ivey.
Paul immediately started grabbing and flexing his hand and walked back into the locker room. There is no timetable for his return, but he is expected to return this season.
“It’s tough,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I'm so sorry for Chris. I know he's had a few hand surgeries, I think, maybe on the other hand. I saw him holding it and immediately worried. Didn't find out until I got up from the floor. So I feel terrible for Chris, and of course the guys are going to step up and be ready to play. We have to hold the fort without him.”
A 19-year veteran, Paul has a lengthy injury history, including 11 hand injuries – five on the left side and six on the right side. He has had four hand or wrist surgeries, most recently on his left wrist following his appearance in the 2021 NBA Finals with the Phoenix Suns.
“I just feel sorry for him. I know he’s been through a lot throughout his career,” Stephen Curry said. “We're trying to find a groove as a team… and he's such a big part of that.”
Paul is averaging nine points on 42.1% field goal shooting and 7.3 assists in 27.7 minutes. He has 10 assists and zero turnovers in three games this season, the second-most in the NBA behind Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton.
Paul started the last four games as the anchor of the second unit. The move was made to help Stephen Curry get more of the ball – something that's crucial while Draymond Green serves his indefinite suspension.
“Especially in the last two years, I’ve been able to adapt to everything that’s out there. I know that going back to a different lineup now without CP is another challenge,” Curry said. “I have to be able to make the adjustments, Klay has to do the same so we can continue to be aggressive.”
Paul's playmaking and ball control will be missed the most by the Warriors. When Paul is on the court, the Warriors have a turnover rate of 13.2%, which is 10th best in the NBA. This rises to 16.2% when off the ground, which ranks last.
His assist-to-turnover ratio of 6.1 this season is also the second-best in the league, trailing only Tyus Jones.
“He’s such an intellectual player,” Curry said. “He knows how to manage the game and how to organize us. We went through a period where we had some difficult starts. That's obviously because of Draymond being out and how different we look as a team trying to run our system. CP is a great addition to this river.
The Warriors will also be without guard Gary Payton II, who will be out indefinitely with a left hamstring strain.
Now the Warriors will rely more heavily on Brandon Podziemski and Cory Joseph. Before Paul moved into the starting lineup on December 30, Podziemski was part of that group
Paul's absence will also provide more opportunities for Moses Moody, who has been absent from the squad for the last six games. Before playing five and a half minutes against Detroit, Moody was listed as “DNP” in the last three games.
“Everyone has to improve a little bit,” Podziemski said. “It will take a collective effort, just like it did tonight. Cory, Moses, they did a great job of pushing us in the third and fourth quarters and that really kept us on top during that stretch.”