Camila Sosa
Having been out of the court since February 16, when he suffered a thumb injury to his right hand against the Houston Rockets, Chris Paul would return from his month-and-a-half absence this Wednesday, March 23 to face the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
Originally the Phoenix Suns star’s physical setback (a fractured right thumb with avulsion) would have taken him at least until April 3 to try to see him back on the court in the NBA, but Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that the decision to have Paul back this week with the Suns is not exact nor definitive. It all depends on his progress in the team’s training.
Despite the prospect of having one of the best players on the entire roster back earlier than anticipated, Phoenix has no reason to rush the return of its star point guard, as they have done as well in terms of performance as before Chris Paul was absent: with a record of 58-14, they still have by far the most wins in the entire NBA (nine games difference with the Memphis Grizzlies, second place in the Western Conference).
In 14 games played by the Suns since the loss of Chris Paul, they have won 10 times, having a five-game winning streak, which they will look to keep against the Timberwolves, who also have one of the best current winning streaks in elite basketball. The intention of the team led by Monty Williams is to bring the veteran to the court in time to recover his rhythm for the postseason which is getting closer.
The 12-time All-Star averages 14.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 10.7 assists (leads the league) and 1.9 steals in 58 games played in the 2021-2022 NBA season, with percentages of 48.7% from the field and 33% from the three-point line.
