Phoenix Suns veteran guard Chris Paul has been in the league for 18 seasons, so he’s seen it all in his long, storied career. Thats why, when All-NBA forward Kevin Durant was ruled out indefinitely after sustaining an ankle injury, the floor general tried to keep it all in perspective.
Paul, speaking to Sam Amick of The Athletic, says “I’ve been through 18 years of this, man, and I’ve been on the shelf too, you know what I mean?”
It's true that CP3 is no stranger to injuries.
Playing 60 or fewer games in five seasons and in 80 or more games in three seasons, Paul's been a mixed bag of sorts when it comes to his durability. Nonetheless, Paul has avoided an injury-prone moniker, much like Durant. After all, although it's not as physical as football or rugby, professional athletes are still asked to test the limits of their body.
In the case of Durant, who injured his ankle during warm-ups on an awkward, no-contact fall on Mar. 8, it was simply a freak accident.
KD has been ruled OUT for tonight's game after an ankle injury during pregame workouts 😳pic.twitter.com/jxfAcBoLz2
— The Game Day NBA (@TheGameDayNBA) March 9, 2023
Describing his team's mindset during KDs absence, the leadership of Paul shines through.
“You roll with what you got,” says Paul.
“It is what it is. Once (Durant’s ankle injury) happened, I’ve learned that you can’t change it. You just can’t, so you just deal with it head-on. And when he gets back, we’ll be ready. Until then, you hold the fort down.”
The Suns have went 4-6 without Durant since Mar. 8.
They went 3-0 in the trio of games that he did play for Phoenix, averaging 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 69.0 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from 3-point range.
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