Chris Paul out indefinitely due to COVID-19 protocols

The Phoenix Suns have been the hottest team in the NBA playoffs thus far, but they are now in danger of being without their leader for the start of the Western Conference Finals.

Chris Paul has entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol and will be sidelined indefinitely, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. That leaves his status for the Western Conference Finals up in the air.

The Suns are awaiting the winner of the Utah Jazz-Los Angeles Clippers series after they swept the Denver Nuggets. It may work in their favor that the series is currently tied at 2-2, as the earliest it can end is Friday. If a Game 7 is needed, that will be played on Sunday.

The NBA has yet to release the schedule for the conference finals.

Charania notes that the isolation period could be shorter for a vaccinated player depending upon the circumstances.

Paul is the unquestioned leader of the Suns. He has averaged 15.7 points, 8.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in 10 playoff games despite battling a shoulder injury. He proved how determine he is to win a championship with this awesome quote during Phoenix’s series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It would be a major blow to the Suns’ title chances if Paul were forced to miss games in the Western Conference Finals.