Chris Paul injury update: Warriors' guard could miss up to 15 games after hand surgery

During the Golden State Warriors matchup with the Detroit Pistons Friday, Chris Paul suffered an injury to his left hand. Recent updates on the situation suggest the former All-Star will be out for an extended period of time.

On Sunday afternoon, Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Paul's status following this hand injury. He has had surgery to repair his left hand, and is expected to miss at least the next four to six weeks.

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Chris Paul, who came to Golden State in the Jordan Poole trade, has been an anchor for the team's second unit. In 32 games this season, he is averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 assists while shooting league average from beyond the arc.

Paul and the Warriors catch a slight break in this timeline with the All-Star break looming. That will give the veteran point guard a week to heal without missing any games. However, the Warriors will still be without him for a fair share of matchups.

Even in the best case scenario where he is back in four weeks, Paul will miss the Warriors' next 15 games. If he has to sit out the full six, that number jumps to 20 or 21.

Losing Chris Paul is a big blow for the Warriors, who are already shorthanded with Draymond Green being suspended. Now, the shorthanded squad has to band together and try to remain competitive while they work their way back to full health. Currently, Golden State sits in 10th place in the Western Conference with a 17-18 record.

Who is going to replace Chris Paul in the Golden State Warriors' lineup?

With Chris Paul out of action for at least the next month, Steve Kerr has to make some changes to his rotation. Looking at their roster, there is one clear answer of who could see more minutes due to this injury.

Brandin Podziemski is a 6-foot-5 guard who the Golden State Warriors drafted with the 19th overall pick in the 2023 draft. So far this season, the rookie has shown some nice flashes when given the opportunity to play. Podziemski's best performance came back in December when he notched 20 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Overall. the rookie guard is averaging 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists this season. In light of Paul's injury, he is a player that is expected to see a larger role moving forward according to Woj.

Losing a rotation player also creates an opportunity for guys that don't usually play to see the floor. Another player who is likely to get more playing time in the coming week is Moses Moody. The former first-round pick has been in-and-out of the rotation all year, and news recently emerged that he is frustrated. This could be a chance for him to prove to Kerr that he is worthy of consistent playing time.