The Oklahoma City Thunder gave Chris Paul an option to sit out of Monday’s game against the Phoenix Suns as five other players, including three starters, were ruled unavailable.
Paul wanted no such thing.
“I just wanna hoop. I feel great. I tell Coach, when I’m in one of those situations where I’ve been injured before, a few times, and don’t have the ability to play, right?” Paul said.
“So if I’m fine and I can play, then I want to play. So, yeah. I just like to hoop.”
Paul hasn’t missed extended time since the 2009-10 season, when he played just 45 games, but over the last three years, he has sat out a meaningful number of games.
He played 58 games both of his seasons with the Houston Rockets and 61 in his final Los Angeles Clippers year.
Now on the Thunder, Paul has only missed one game, which was after the death of Kobe Bryant.
On Monday, Oklahoma City was without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, who head coach Billy Donovan said were banged up after the last game and the team thought prudent to rest on the second game of a back-to-back with the playoffs approaching.
Steven Adams has missed time since Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee landed on his lower leg, and Nerlens Noel has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.
Dennis Schroder is not in the bubble, at home for the birth of his child.
“(Paul) feels like for his rhythm, his game, and what he needs for himself, he feels like he’s better off out there being on the court playing,” Donovan said. “I respect that. His whole entire life he’s been a great, great competitor and I think he feels like he wants to go out there and compete and feels like he doesn’t have anything ailing him.”
Donovan made sure to specify that he doesn’t think the players who did sit are lacking competitiveness; they’re just doing what felt best for their own bodies.
“Those other guys are dealing with something that’s slowing them down, that we need to get corrected, whereas I think Chris is at a point right now physically where he feels fine and he feels like the best thing for him is to continue to play,” Donovan said.
