Report: Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul enters NBA's health and safety protocols

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Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul has entered the league's health and safety protocols, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Paul will be sidelined for an "indefinite period of time."

How much time could Chris Paul miss?

Having defeated the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the Suns have advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they'll meet either the Utah Jazz or LA Clippers. Paul's status for the start of the Western Conference Finals is reportedly up in the air.

The start date of the Western Conference Finals has not yet been announced, but if the Jazz and Clippers go to a Game 7, it will be played on Sunday, June 20.

As noted by Charania, the isolation period could be shorter for a vaccinated individual depending on the medical circumstance.

After a shoulder injury limited Paul in Phoenix's first-round series with the Los Angeles Lakers, he led the Suns over the Nuggets with averages of 25.5 points, 10.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

How have the Suns played without Chris Paul this season?

Paul has yet to miss a game in the 2021 NBA Playoffs and was sidelined for only two games in the regular season.

On Feb. 8, Paul sat out Phoenix's 119-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a sore right hamstring. He then sat out the team's final game of the regular season — a 123-121 win over the San Antonio Spurs — for rest.

With Paul on the court, the Suns are scoring at a rate of 115.6 points per 100 possessions in the playoffs. With him on the bench, their offensive rating has fallen to 108.2.

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Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News