Chris Paul undergoes thumb surgery; out 8 weeks

Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb, He is expected to be sidelined for up to 8 weeks, meaning he would return to the court by the end of the preseason.

Paul sustained the injury sometime in July during Team USA’s training camp in Las Vegas. In 60 games last season, the 5-time All Star averaged 19.8 points, 9.1 assists and a league-leading 2.5 steals per contest. Paul also posted 8.3 points and 5.1 assists per game en route to a gold medal for the United States at the 2012 Olympics.