The Phoenix Suns have been without star point guard Chris Paul in the lineup for the past seven games and it's unclear when he will return. He was officially listed as out for the Suns game on Friday against the Detroit Pistons as per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

The Suns have gone 4-3 without Chris Paul in the lineup. They were 7-3 with Paul in the lineup and had a five-game winning streak early in the season. The team may have gotten some positive news though from general manager James Jones who hinted that Paul's progress was trending in the right direction.

On the season, Paul's numbers had been down from his usual career averages. His 9.5 points per game are a career-low, but he was still dishing out 9.4 assists. His shooting had taken a real hit, however with both his field goal percentage (36.8) and three-point percentage (27.3) being career-lows.

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Even with the team playing at about a .500 pace since Paul has been sidelined, the Suns still sit in first place in the Western Conference standings with an 11-6 record.

Paul will miss his eighth straight game due a heel injury he suffered back on Nov. 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was attempting to navigate a screen and came up limping. He did not return to the game.

Now at 37-years-old and in his 18th season in the NBA, the Suns are sure to proceed with extreme caution when handling the 12-time All-Star's health and not rush him back on the court too soon.