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After suffering a dislocation of his left thumb in the December 12 game at Golden State, Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas underwent surgery at Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. His thumb was relocated and damage caused by the dislocation was repaired. The surgery was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Yao, a specialist in hand, wrist and elbow surgery.
Valanciunas will wear a cast for four weeks. His condition will then be updated as appropriate.
The injury occurred in the second quarter of Wednesday’s victory at Golden State. Valanciunas is averaging 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 18.8 minutes in 30 games (10 starts) this season. He has led the team in rebounding 11 times, and recorded five double-doubles.
According to the Toronto Star, “The Raptors have survived other absences: they are 7-1 in games Kawhi Leonard has sat out, and they have been without Norm Powell since the first week of November. In this case, they will move backup big man Greg Monroe into a far more substantial role. While the Raptors created a feel-good story by calling up Canadian centre Chris Boucher from the G League to fill the roster spot, the rail-thin backup can’t be expected to play any significant role. That leaves Monroe, the 28-year-old veteran on a one-year deal, to assume a key position behind now presumptive starter Serge Ibaka.”
