Willie Reed Injury: Updates on Nets Center's Thumb Surgery and Recovery
Brooklyn Nets power forward/center Willie Reed underwent surgery Friday to repair an injured left thumb and will be out for six to eight weeks.
Continue for updates.
Reed to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Friday, Oct. 16
According to the New York Post's Tim Bontemps, Reed will miss at least six weeks after surgery on his left thumb to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
He injured his thumb during a preseason game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, according to the Nets. He tweeted to his fans after the surgery:
"Surgery went great!! Will use this down time to get even closer to God. AMEN! Also cheer on my teammates. God bless! #BrooklynRepresent
— Willie Reed (@ShowtimeReed33) October 16, 2015"
It's a tough break for Reed, who is still working to make his breakthrough in the NBA after picking up this injury in his preseason debut. He missed the Nets' preseason opener with a quad issue.
The 25-year-old has never appeared in an NBA regular-season game while playing for the Nets and Sacramento Kings organizations. He had two separate stints in the D-League before the Nets acquired him in September 2014. He was then waived by the team in October of last year before re-signing in July after a successful NBA Summer League stint with the Miami Heat.
Brooklyn's depth at power forward and center takes a hit with the loss of Reed. The Nets will have to survive the next six to eight weeks with an injury-prone Brook Lopez and Andrea Bargnani at center. Bargnani is currently battling a hamstring injury.
Thomas Robinson could see a bump in playing time while Reed heals. But at 6'9", most of his time will probably come at the 4. If Bargnani is unable to go, the Nets, who also are without 6'10" Chris McCullough, might be forced to roll out a smaller lineup when Lopez has to go to the bench.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com
