J.R. Smith Injury: Cavaliers SG to Undergo Surgery on Injured Thumb

Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith suffered a fractured right thumb Dec. 20 against the Milwaukee Bucks and will undergo surgery to repair the damage.

Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reported Smith's surgery is scheduled for Friday.

On Friday, the Cavs announced (via ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst) Smith is expected to miss 12 to 14 weeks as a result of the procedure.

Smith was forced to leave Cleveland's Dec. 5 game against the Toronto Raptors with a left knee injury, but he avoided a major absence after testing revealed no structural damage. He missed just two games and returned Dec. 10.

A year after he averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 40.0 percent from three during the Cavaliers' championship campaign, Smith is averaging 8.6 points on 33.7 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc, as he's struggled to gain a comfortable rhythm.

Despite Smith's troubles in the shooting department, the Cavaliers are a more potent team when he's on the floor. Not only can he catch fire, but he gives Cleveland an additional knockdown marksman who can thrive when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving collapse the defense and draw extra defenders.

With Smith set for a long absence, look for DeAndre Liggins to slide back into the starting lineup like he did in early December so Iman Shumpert can remain a key bench contributor.