After being sidelined for 21 games due to a fractured hand, Chris Paul will return to the Golden State Warriors lineup when they visit the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena on Tuesday.
The veteran point-guard's return provides a critical moment for the Warriors who, aside from young forward Gui Santos, have a clean bill of health with no one else on the injury report for Tuesday's game.
Chris Paul's return is likely to benefit a number of Golden State Warriors' teammates, but it could also prove a disadvantage for others
Things have largely gone smoothly for the Warriors over recent weeks, and although their momentum stalled a little in a 119-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, the franchise still have the equal second-best record in the league across the last 13 games.
While Paul's veteran leadership and savvy playmaking should benefit Golden State, there's also a sense of anxiety amongst fans with the threat of the 38-year-old upsetting the apple cart. Paul played well and led the team in net rating for much of the season pre-injury, but there's evidently been a contrast in the way the Warriors have played with and without the 12-time All-Star.
Paul's impact on the team overall will be the most important facet, though there's also the aspect of how he'll effect teammates on an individual basis. He should impact most teammates positively, such is his influence as one of the best passers/playmakers in the history of the game. Paul is averaging a team-high 7.2 assists per game this season, and remains second in the league behind Tyus Jones in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Let's have a look at five players who will be primarily impacted by Paul's return, starting with those that stand to benefit the most: