Golden State Warriors: David Lee to Undergo Abdominal Surgery

Golden State Warriors forward David Lee is due for surgery.

According to a report from the Warriors, Lee is to undergo surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle on Thursday. 

Lee has missed each of Golden State's last seven games with a strained groin. Of those seven games, the Warriors lost six, allowing themselves to fall within reach of a coveted lottery pick

There is no timetable for Lee's recovery, but he is not expected to be sidelined for long. When the injury was first detected on April 13, Lee was advised to err on the side of caution and not play again until he was fully healed. He should be just fine by the time the 2012-13 season rolls around.

Lee's second season with the Warriors was a good one. He averaged 20.1 points per game, just short of his career high of 20.2 points per game in 2009-10. Lee also averaged 9.6 rebounds per game this season.

Lee will be a big part of Golden State's plans next season. The Warriors will have him at power forward and Andrew Bogut, who was acquired in the Monta Ellis trade, at center. The combination of Lee and Bogut will give the Warriors a much stronger frontcourt than they're used to, though a lot will depend on the oft-injured Bogut staying healthy.

By comparison, Lee has proved to be pretty durable, appearing in 57 games this season and 73 games last year. He also played in 81 games in each of his last three seasons with the New York Knicks.

Despite Lee's heroics this season, the Warriors are looking at a fourth-straight losing campaign. They stand to lose their first-round draft pick to the Utah Jazz unless they finish with one of the seven worst records in the league.

If the Warriors don't end up keeping their pick, the team's rebuilding process will hit a major speed bump.