Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul will miss 6-8 weeks with a fractured right thumb suffered in Wednesday’s win over the Golden State Warriors.
The regular season ends in 7 weeks.
Paul, 36, is averaging 14.9 points and an NBA-best 10.7 assists for Phoenix (48-10), owners of the NBA’s best record.
“I look at the beauty of it,” Suns guard Devin Booker told reporters at the All-Star Game in Cleveland. “He gets to rest his legs. He gets to get ready for a long postseason that we’re trying to make happen.”
Suns coach Monty Williams said he's already had meetings with the coaching staff on what the Suns are planning to do without Paul.
“It also’s an opportunity to strengthen our team, give other guys confidence in certain areas and then when he does come back, I think we’ll be that much better,” Williams said.
Aaron Holiday is expected to see an increased role for Phoenix, which is looking to get back to the NBA Finals and win the title after falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games last season.
In three games with the Suns, Holiday, acquired for cash at the trade deadline, is averaging 7.3 points and 2.7 assists on 84.6% True Shooting percentage
“He just continues to play the kind of basketball we like to play,” Williams said after the Suns’ 124-121 win over the Rockets on Wednesday. “Defensively, he just gets into stuff and he comes up with balls. I thought the inbounds play under the basket where he stole it and laid it up, that’s Aaron [Holiday], and I like his willingness to take shots.
"And then, there was one play where it was just a muddied offensive set, and he dribbled all over the place like [Steve] Nash and then just went to the basket and laid it off the glass, and I was like, 'He’s got some moxie and some toughness.' He’s come here and he’s fit right in.”
The Paul news was first reported by TNT.
