Chris Paul Out 6-8 Weeks

6:49pm: Paul is expected to undergo surgery to repair the torn ligament, according to ESPN.

6:20pm: Superstar guard Chris Paul has torn a ligament in his left thumb, tweets Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, and is expected to miss six to eight weeks of action for the Clippers.

After leaving Monday’s game against the Thunder early, basic X-Rays came back negative. On Tuesday, Paul was sent for an MRI which revealed the damage to the ligament in his left hand.

In 36 games this year, Paul has averaged 17.5 points and 9.7 assists per game. He’s played a characteristically massive role in the Clippers’ bid for a home-court berth in the Western Conference playoff picture. Even without Blake Griffin since mid-December, Los Angeles has managed to compile a 29-14 record.

Paul is signed to a $22.9MM contract this season and has an early termination option for the final year of his contract next season. Should he return within the quote timetable, he’ll be back on the court for Los Angeles between late February and mid-March.

The news that Paul will miss significant time comes on the heels of reports that the team will soon expect Griffin to make his return.

View Comments (6)