Report: Fred VanVleet will undergo thumb surgery, miss five weeks
The Toronto Raptors’ decision to bring Jeremy Lin aboard always looked prudent, but it looks even better in light of the latest update on Fred VanVleet’s injury status.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, his timetable is worse than initially expected.
Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet will undergo surgery for ligament damage in his left thumb and miss approximately five weeks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 13, 2019
The Raptors backup point guard has appeared in 51 games this season, including 22 starts. The 24-year-old filled in for Kyle Lowry admirably at times and has averaged 10.5 points and 4.6 assists in 26.8 minutes. While VanVleet’s overall shooting percentage of 40.3 isn’t impressive, he’s shot a respectable 36.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Although the ligament damage is a serious injury, the approximate timeline Charania is reporting would still make VanVleet available for the stretch run and the playoffs where he can resume his role as the team’s second-unit field general.
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