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The Phoenix Suns have proved that last season’s NBA Finals run was not a fluke as they have the best record in the league at 48-10. However, they will now try to finish out the rest of the second half of the season without All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Paul suffered an avulsion of his fractured right thumb last week and will be out for the next 6-8 weeks.
Chris Paul injury updates
March 22 update: Paul was going to come back this season for the playoffs, but it looks like he could be on the court even sooner. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Paul could return as soon as Wednesday against the Timberwolves. The team is in no rush to bring him back with a playoff spot locked up and the No. 1 seed all but assured, so there’s a good chance Paul continues to sit out for now. However, the fact that he can come back ahead of the playoffs means his recovery has gone well. That’s good for Phoenix’s chances in the postseason.
The 36-year-old point guard has not missed a beat in his second season with the Suns and is one of the main reasons for their success. This season, Paul is averaging a double-double consisting of 14.9 points and 10.7 assists per game. He also has 4.5 rebounds per game on his resume.
With Paul out for the next two months potentially, it would not come as a surprise to see the Suns’ odds to win the NBA Finals and West take a dip, depending on how they play. Phoenix will now lean on Cameron Payne and Aaron Holiday as their top-two options at point guard. Both Payne and Holiday would be solid options in season-long fantasy and DFS with their abilities to stuff the stat sheet.