Chris Paul is not listed on the injury report for the Golden State Warriors ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards, clearing the way for his return after missing nearly two months. The veteran point guard has been out since Jan. 5 due to a fractured right hand, but now, the Warriors are set to be healthier than they’ve been at any point this season.
The Warriors have undergone several significant changes since Paul has been out. When he last played, Draymond Green was still suspended and Klay Thompson was a starter for the Warriors. Now? Green is back and has moved into the starting lineup alongside Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins in the front court. Thompson has been benched for Brandin Podziemski, leaving Stephen Curry as the season’s lone constant for Golden State.
Paul will likely now play more bench minutes alongside Thompson, and that is a pairing that has largely worked for the Warriors this season. In roughly 500 minutes together so far, the Paul-Thompson duo has outscored opponents by 75 points this season. As a whole, the Warriors have posted a plus-4 net rating in Paul’s minutes this season, which allowed Golden State to survive the notoriously precarious Curry bench minutes that have plagued the Warriors for years.
With Paul back in the fold, the Warriors will be at full strength for seemingly the first time all season. They’ve found their ideal starting five.
Youngsters Podziemski and Kuminga have emerged as key players, while the veterans are settling into new roles well. If Paul returns at the same level he’d played at before his injury, the Warriors, winners of eight of their last 10, should be well-positioned to push for a better seed in the Western Conference standings and perhaps even escape the Play-In Tournament entirely.
