Lakers News: Second Laker In Two Days Undergoes Thumb Surgery Before Season Starts

What's wrong with the thumbs of the 2022-23 Lakers?

Yours Los Angeles Lakers’ injury-plagued ramp-up heading into the 2022-23 regular season has just gotten worse.

The team released a press statement (h/t to Marc Stein for the link) announcing that 6’10” L.A. center Thomas Bryant, embarking on his second tour of duty with the team this season, had surgery today to address the injured ulnar collateral ligament of his left thumb.

Bryant is the second Lakers player in as many days to get this procedure. Point guard Dennis Schröder went under the knife for the same operation on his right thumb yesterday. Los Angeles expects both role players to be sidelined for 3-4 weeks, and will re-assess the rehabilitated digits at the three-week mark.

Both players are expected to be rotation contributors for this new-look Los Angeles squad, most likely as reserves. Mike Trudell of Lakers.com predicts that the duo's extended absences during this first month or so of the season could result in more backcourt run for guards Kendrick Nunn and Austin Reaves and more frontcourt time for big men Damian Jones and Wenyen Gabriel.

There may be a significant drop-off on the floor from Bryant to Jones. Trudell reports that, during the team's preseason, Bryant logged a significantly superior plus/minus rating compared to Jones, the team's other traditional center. Across 13.3 minutes a night, Bryant posted a +7.4 net rating, much better than Jones's -19.4 plus/minus through 11.1 minutes.

What are they putting in the water over there at the UCLA Health Training Facility anyway? And what's it doing to Lakers players' thumbs?