Chris Paul to make Warriors return on Tuesday vs. Wizards

Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul is expected to return to action on Tuesday when the Warriors take on the Wizards in Washington.

Paul has not played since January 5 after fracturing his left hand. He underwent surgery to repair the fracture.

The 19-year veteran was injured in a January game against the Detroit Pistons. Midway through the third quarter, Paul attempted to grab a long rebound on a missed 3-point shot when his hand awkwardly collided with Jaden Ivey.

This injury adds to a long list of other hand injuries that Paul has suffered during his career.

In his 32 games in his first season with the Warriors, Paul is averaging 8.9 points on 42.4 percent shooting and 7.2 assists in 27.6 minutes per game.

“Chris will play every minute without Steph, and he'll be there with Steph as well,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after their loss to the Nuggets on Monday. “It’s easier for us to take Steph out of the game and take some of the wear and tear off her when Chris is out there.”

Brought to Golden State to anchor the second unit, Paul returns to a team that has seen major changes to its rotation – notably Klay Thompson taking a sixth man role.

The team is optimistic that the combination of Paul and Thompson coming off the bench will make its second unit extremely lethal, but it's unclear how any bench minutes will be split.

“You can’t really ask for a better backcourt coming off the bench,” Thompson said. It's very exciting.