Doctor Reveals How Long Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker Could Take to Recover From His Thumb Injury

When it comes to luck, the Los Angeles Lakers have been dealt with both good and bad. As good as their offseason was, bringing in some of the best players to join LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ quest in adding another title to the franchise, their preseason has been equally bad.

With injuries already kicking in for some players, they have so far lost all four of their games. In another unfortunate development, Talen Horton Tucker might be out for longer than expected.

Talen Horton-Tucker recovery timeline

The 2021-22 NBA regular season hasn’t even begun, and the preseason has already brought in a lot of injuries for the purple and gold players. After Talen Horton-Tucker missed the exhibition game against the Phoenix Suns, Shams Charania announced that Tucker has a torn ligament in his right thumb because of which he needs surgery.

With this update, Dr. Rajpal Brar also added, “If it’s most common thumb ligament injury (ulnar collateral) then he’ll likely have surgery w/ internal brace (developed by Dr. Steven Shin in LA) added. Typical return timeline would be 6-8 weeks (for reference, Drew Brees was back in 6 with this procedure).” However, further details are yet to be known.

If it’s most common thumb ligament injury (ulnar collateral) then he’ll likely have surgery w/ internal brace (developed by Dr. Steven Shin in LA) added. Typical return timeline would be 6-8 weeks (for reference, Drew Brees was back in 6 with this procedure). Awaiting more detail https://t.co/nutmC3aaio

— Dr. Rajpal Brar, DPT (@3cbPerformance) October 11, 2021

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Where do the Lakers stand after this loss?

Tucker isn’t the only Lakers player going through health issues. Trevor Ariza is also ruled out for almost two months because of an injury in the right ankle. Even Malik Monk is sidelined for an entire week courtesy of a groin injury. The Lakers’ wing depth just keeps on getting thinner.

This long-term absence could mean that the Lakers might need to sign another free agent to fill in the gap. So far, they have Kendrick Nunn, Wayne Ellington, and Kent Bazemore to utilize those playing minutes. Whether or not they choose to take up the free agent option, only time will tell.

October 8, 2021; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Damion Lee (1) shoots the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker (5) during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

They will enter the season with more worries than they would have thought. This also means that a lot of the responsibility to carry the franchise will again fall on their two pillars, LeBron and AD. Will the Lakers suffer the same fate as last season? Or will the hyped trio of Westbrook, LBJ, and Davis be enough for their journey to another title?

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