Report: Chris Paul out 6-8 weeks with torn thumb ligament

The Los Angeles Clippers will reportedly be without star point guard Chris Paul for 6-8 weeks as he will have surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament.

The Los Angeles Clippers are the hottest team in the NBA in mid-January. While they have won a league-best seven games in a row, that winning streak probably won’t last much longer. That is because star point guard Chris Paul will be out for the foreseeable future.

According to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, “Chris Paul has a torn ligament in his left thumb and will require surgery. Expected to miss 6-8 weeks.”

This is tough news for the Clippers who can never seem to catch a break. Even with this seven-game winning streak, the Clippers couldn’t do better than fourth in the Western Conference. It’s hard to climb to the top of the Western Conference standings with teams like the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets playing so well.

Keep in mind that Blake Griffin is out for a couple more weeks as he is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Clippers could plummet in the Western Conference standings. Look for teams like the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies to take advantage of an injured Clippers team.

If there is any consolation prize to this, it is that both Griffin and Paul should be healthy come playoff time. Los Angeles isn’t going to fall out of playoff contention entirely. Keep in mind that the Portland Trail Blazers are seven games under .500 and in possession of the No. 8 seed in the West.

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Frankly, wouldn’t getting a No. 6 or No. 7 seed be a better path to the Western Conference Finals than being the No. 4 or No. 5 seed? Los Angeles hasn’t proven that it can do anything against Golden State. They would likely meet in the Western Conference Semifinals as the No. 1 vs. No. 4/No. 5 game.