1:29pm: The Suns have put out a brief press release confirming that Paul is in the health and safety protocols and announcing that the next update will come on Saturday.
11:22am: Paul has registered a positive COVID-19 test, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7.
Gambadoro adds that Paul was vaccinated earlier this year. However, the 36-year-old would still require a quarantine period and would need to return multiple negative tests and receive medical clearance before he returns to the court.
7:42am: Suns point guard Chris Paul has entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols related to COVID-19, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Charania, Paul will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time, and his status for the start of the Western Conference Finals is up in the air.
For most of the 2020/21 NBA season, a player who tested positive for the coronavirus was typically sidelined for at least 10-to-14 days, while a player who was deemed a close contract of someone who tested positive generally had to quarantine for a week.
It’s not clear, however which of those categories Paul may fall into. Depending on the circumstances, CP3’s isolation period could also be shorter if he has been vaccinated, Charania notes.
The NBA had managed to successfully navigate the coronavirus during the postseason up until this point, reporting in recent weeks that no new players had registered positive tests since the playoffs began. But if Paul has to miss any of the Suns’ next series, it would be a brutal break for the him and the team, especially given how thoroughly Phoenix dominated the Nuggets in a four-game sweep in round two.
If the series between the Jazz and Clippers requires seven games to determine a winner, it would benefit the Suns by potentially pushing back the start of the Western Finals. Game 5 of that Utah/L.A. series will be played tonight, with Game 6 on Friday. If a Game 7 is necessary, it would take place on Sunday.
Paul helped lead the Suns to the NBA’s second-best record this season, averaging 16.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game with a shooting line of .499/.395/.934 in 70 contests (31.4 MPG). He was named to the All-NBA Second Team on Tuesday.
If Paul has to miss any time, Phoenix would lean more heavily on backup point guard Cameron Payne, who had some big games in the first round when CP3 was battling a shoulder injury.
Wow. There’s always something that keeps CP3 from the finals.
Are you serious. He has to be vaccinated by now, no. This would be crushing to Suns now. This Virus just won’t go away.
CP3 probably only missing the first game. That’s no big deal.
If he personally tested positive, he’s out for the whole WCF or most of it. If it was just someone close to him, he might only miss one game. If the latter and he was vaccinated, he’ll only miss practices. We don’t know the answer. The fact that no one has said which it is, is very ominous.
Agreed – I thought at this point if someone was vaccinated they didn’t even need to get tested if they were exposed to COVID?
It sounds ominous, I agree – ominously like he’s probably not vaccinated and was either exposed or tested positive.
Nobody should have to be tested if they have been vaccinated. At this point if you are vaccinated, somehow catch the virus and give it to someone else, it’s on them to also be vaccinated. Paul should be allowed to play regardless of testing positive.
You said this in a different thread, tedtheodorelogan, and it was dumb there, too. There are plenty of reasons for people to not get vaccinated (I’m personally vaccinated but respect that it’s a choice), and to expose them to COVID for no real reason other than apparently spite is dumb.
On top of that, he can spread it to other vaccinated players, exponentially increasing the odds of spreading it to a non-vaccinated person. Why run that risk? You seriously want a positive player out there possibly infecting everyone on the court? Madness.
Name “good reasons” young otherwise healthy athletes should not get vaccinated.
Not sure why you quoted me as saying “good reasons” when I only said “reasons”. You completely changed the meaning of my post to score some kind of point.
But a “good” one is that we have zero idea what long term effects any of the vaccines have because we had to fast-track it. Literally none. Vaccines are typically 10-15 years from development to approval and we skipped all of that. And we had to. Like I said, I am personally vaccinated, but if someone is skeptical and doesn’t want to get it it’s their choice. Especially a “young otherwise healthy athlete” who could potentially risk that health and athletic ability if there end up being side effects for the vaccines a few years down the line (not something I anticipate, but we’re in the dark in some ways here).
Before someone jumps in and start hurling epithets at the audacity of rct speculating their might be a reason for someone to delay taking the vaccine, let me say this:
I 100% agree with everything he said.
One of the main reasons most vaccines take upward of a decade to hit the market is because scientists need to wait 3-5 years to make sure there aren’t any serious long term effects.
Because we didn’t wait the 3-5 years we don’t know for certain that there are no long term effects.
If the availability of the vaccine gets us back to normalcy I fully support fast tracking as a one-time thing, but there are real risks involved. Pretending there aren’t ultimately does everyone a disservice.
7ChrisP was already vaccinated (update) and got covid anyway. There will be an error rate to any such “fix”; for instance the original vac had to be updated quickly. And everyone will need another eventually to keep the odds low of getting covid.
As for ChrisP, he will probably get approved as soon as he gets several days of negative, not the full 14 days, bC politically, authorities want to reward those who got vaccinated. Also, the vac will induce a strengthening effect to Paul’s body anyway.
He has not looked weak to me except for the shoulder.
Rumor
Paul and Damion Lee took Johnson and Johnson vaccine
Can you believe this guy? You’re out doing something you shouldn’t have done, you know the rules, and still go out and do it anyway. Probably filming a commercial or making an appearance.
But let’s wait and see what the infraction was. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that a staff member or a family member is the person in question Paul came into contact with.
It was Jake from State Farm
Ha
You think people film commercials during the playoffs?
I don’t like Chris Paul very much because of his demeanor on the court, his flopping and his grabbing the ball out of the refs hands, his whining, and some of the other sneaky things he does. Some of those things within the rules? Yeah, usually, sure, but I am not his biggest fan. So yeah I said “filming a commercial.”
Sometimes people say things as a dig or a dart to throw even though it’s not within the realm of possibly occurring. Never seen that done before?
If you’ll notice, I did make a attempt to tether my disdain for the man by giving him the benefit of the doubt. I tried.
He probably did something crazy like party with Drake and Michael B. Jordan…
What exactly is “something he shouldn’t be doing?” Oh now big bad Chris Paul went to red lobster. Someone call the police.
During the playoffs, anything but sleeping at the hotel and getting room service is ‘something he shouldn’t be doing’.
scandalous! goodness, this isnt the bubble anymore.
Going to Red Lobster is not a problem with me. It’s a problem with the NBA isn’t it? You didn’t know that?
They prefer that the players eat at Sizzler?
What is doing something bad to you oh no he got a hair cut . Oh no he went to a restaurant. oh no he saw family or friends.
Every. Effin. Time.
Jeez guys calm down. The Suns won’t be playing any games for around a week because the Jazz/Clippers series has at least 2, maybe 3, more games until it is over. By that time, CP3 should be cleared and ready to go. If anything, the timing of this is perfect.
He will not be cleared to play if he himself tested positive. That’s two weeks plus.
Even at that rate, he would likely only miss a game or two. If they play the Jazz, they should be okay in the long run. If they play the Clippers, there is a 75% chance that Kawhi will miss those same games due to load management, so it’ll even out.
Kawhi doesn’t miss playoff games unless he is injured that’s just rediculas.
Kawhi is done for the playoffs. Paul tested positive so he could miss at least a couple games until he doesn’t test positive anymore.
It was a joke based on his demonstrated lack of work ethic. I thought it was obvious I was joking, but apparently not.
hiflew, there’s some people that will pick three words out of your post and say “what’s all that about?”
At this point, if you’re not vaccinated, I don’t feel sorry for you. Hopefully he is and won’t be out long.
CP3 is an Anti-Vaxer.
He’s literally been vaccinated.
HeS lItErAlLy BeEn BaCcInAtEd! Duh… but if you read the article a few hours ago, with the rest of us, you’d know that information was not in it.
did the previous iteration of the article say he was anti-vax?
I was responding to the bozo calling Chris Paul an anti-vaxxer. You don’t need the article update to not make a baseless, bonehead statement like that, dude.
Damn, bad time for a hooker party CP3… :(
The Fix is in. I had a feeling this would happen to a Key player in one of the major sports this year. Surprised Vegas didn’t take advantage last year, but I guess it was more difficult with the bubble.
Chris Paul’s lack of availability every playoffs is uncanny
Considering the league just looked the other way when LeBron was exposed *and it was at a public event* I think you have to lean towards CP3 personally testing positive for COVID here.
Because if he was just exposed, I would bet the NBA – at this point in the playoffs – just sweeps this under the rug like they did for James.
I would hope that’s the case
I don’t weigh in on Covid issues much…Im not part of the 3.5 billion experts made up around the world on the issue but I agree w your thoughts here
Reports say that it’s completely unknown if CP3 is vaccinated, but if he is vaccinated then this shouldn’t even be news link to profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
How can Chris Paul not be vaccinated??
Very disappointing. He seems a lot smarter than that.
Excatly , how can every athlete by now. Not be vaxed . This is not cool. Clippers could be done in two. No Kawhi. Looking forward to Suns playing again.
You can be vaccinated and still get it/test positive/spread it. Reports are coming out now that he is indeed vaccinated.
Even more disappointing: all the knee jerk virtue signaling. Jason, you owe Chris an apology. I’ll wait.
Poll- How many readers read past the title before they grace us with their *More important weigh in’s?
I didn’t know he was vaccinated when I read the article. I’m glad to hear he was/is.
If you’re reading this Mr. Paul, please know that I’ve always enjoyed your game and admired the skills.
Also, please tell Lil D MVC that no one thinks he’s a rapper. thx dude!
I’m happy to see a cp3 apology
Too many lax on giving whacks to those without vax
Only hope we see cp3 in round 3
Now time to smoke tree n relax w some snacks
no trees…no hoops.
Look at you all. CP3 was vaccinated. Also, you can still get COVID even if you’ve been vaccinated. The vaccine just means you will not get a severe case and die. This is common knowledge.
He is vaccinated
Whichever vaccination he took, that stocks about to dip. He got the vax and tested positive. SMH not good news.
Many athletes and others have tested positive that have been vaccinated. No stocks are dipping. Doctors tell you that you can still get it. Its annoying every time someone tests positive people shame them for not getting the vax but in many cases that have. It doesn’t make you immune, but it will make symptoms less severe if you do get it.
Not a big issue, unless he’s actually sick (doubtful). I believe that all NBA players are still tested every day, vaccinated or not. There are always going to be some false positives with these types of tests, because the priority is to guard against false negatives. If he actually has the virus, there’s no rule that says he can’t be rid of it before the end of the typical quarantine period. I’d be surprised if he misses more than a game, and not surprised if he doesn’t miss any.
Suns in 4.
Bron , Bron is the only player who could go to a COVID ward and spend time and still get to play.
It’s amazing how something always happens with CP3.
It’s also odd that one of the most recent commercials had him expecting something bad to happen.