A few days after the news that Gary Payton II had to retire, the Golden State Warriors received more bad news from Chris Paul, one of the most important pillars of the squad.
Although they won at home against the Detroit Pistons to relieve some of the performance pressure, the Golden State Warriors still could not fully enjoy the joy after the match that took place at noon on January 6.
Chris Paul, a 39-year-old defender, had to leave the field midway through the match because of a hand injury that will force him to be absent for a long time. Many reputable news sites said that Paul had a broken bone in his left hand and would need surgery to completely treat it.
Chris Paul is an important pillar of the Golden State Warriors with 30 minutes per match
The return date of the defender who is playing more than 30 minutes per match for the Warriors this season is unknown, only that Chris will be on the operating table early next week.
“I feel very sorry for Chris ,” head coach Steve Kerr shared after the match. “I know he is very experienced and has undergone several surgeries to treat injuries during his career, but this is still an unfortunate development and I am very worried about him.
From the beginning of the season until now, Chris has been an important pillar in the squad with a stable number of minutes played. He always shows professionalism and sets a good example for young players. It will not be easy for the team to stand firm with this personnel gap.”
Chris Paul broke a bone in his hand and will have to go on the operating table
Already having difficulty maintaining average performance with Chris Paul, the Golden State Warriors are expected to be challenged even more in the near future.
Even in the victory over the bottom team Pistons at noon on January 6, the Warriors needed two “clutch” 3-pointers from Stephen Curry to achieve a favorable result at home (after CP3 left the field due to injury).
Paul is a PG specializing in leadership. He greatly reduced the load on Stephen Curry in holding the ball across the field and coordinating the attack, creating conditions for Curry to move without the ball and coordinate with other teammates to find space to finish.
Stephen Curry benefits from Chris Paul taking charge of the Golden State Warriors
Now that Chris Paul is out indefinitely, the Warriors will return to the stage where Stephen Curry has to shoulder the responsibility of holding the ball almost alone, which will make the “chef” much less dangerous.
But if you look on the positive side, opportunities will open up for young Golden State players, especially rookie Brandin Podziemski. Coach Steve Kerr added:
“Both Brandin Podziemski and Cory Joseph will play more. Adding Moses Moody is also used to fill the more than 30 minutes per match that Chris Paul leaves.
Surely I cannot use just 1 player to replace Chris, so I will divide it among many different names, taking advantage of each person’s unique strengths.
