Sabonis Injury Update

[ockingsfan]

It sounds like a right thumb sprain? Good thing Domas is left handed.

Wouldn’t mind Domas taking a few games off to get the swelling down and pain more manageable before he gets back on the court to try and play through the injury.

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

Sounds like Brown is going to start Alex Len.

 

[iowamcnabb]

From what I am reading a few days rest isn’t going to help much. Recover time varies from 3 weeks to 12 weeks depending on location and severity according to Cleveland Clinic. I’m sure he will have some type of brace but I wonder how he is going to avoid re-injury considering his physical style of play.

 

[HndsmCelt]

Sounds like Brown is going to start Alex Len.

No that I think it is necessarily a bad idea, but how does brown go from leaving Alex on the end of the bench all season long to starting him overnight?

 

[ShastaKingsFan]

No that I think it is necessarily a bad idea, but how does brown go from leaving Alex on the end of the bench all season long to starting him overnight?

Your guess is as good as mine. I've been saying for several weeks now, that Len should be used in spots and match ups against the bigger centers. Nothing has changed about him, since he played well for the Kings in the past

 

[captain bill]

Not sure where Fox is at with his injury but if there’s any recovery left at all I wouldn’t mind seeing those 2 sit over the next 3 games which has them coming back next Sunday. Worst case scenario we enter 2023 at .500 with a healthy roster and a relatively soft schedule out the gate in January to make up that ground

 

[reptilexcq2]

Luckily, he's left handed. This type of injury can last up to 2 to 3 months...so I guess that's why he's going to play through it.

 

[ockingsfan]

No that I think it is necessarily a bad idea, but how does brown go from leaving Alex on the end of the bench all season long to starting him overnight?

I think it may have to do with having to play Denver and Nikola Jokic 2 days in a row. Len is a veteran big body who probably has the best chance to put a body on Jokic and at least try to slow him down. If Len can't slow him down, he may have to give Queta a shot if Sabonis is out for a while.

 

[King Baller]

Len, Queta, Holmes and Metu is 24 fouls to put on Jokic and everyone may be needed.

Without Domas we will see what this team can do. Lets hope for some good defense and hot 3 point shooting! Go Kings!

 

[kingdivac]

Not a good idea to play Sabonis with a serious thumb injury and risk further injury. Immobilize it, let it heal, and re-evaluate it in intervals. At least he'll be able to maintain most conditioning, and run through practices with the team. This is Brown's nightmare, having his cornerstone offensive player go out for an indeterminant time - it'll test the team's mettle. Len and Holmes are going to be getting more minutes. The adversity could have a silver lining of the other players stepping up possibly.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I think it may have to do with having to play Denver and Nikola Jokic 2 days in a row. Len is a veteran big body who probably has the best chance to put a body on Jokic and at least try to slow him down. If Len can't slow him down, he may have to give Queta a shot if Sabonis is out for a while.

Exactly. Jokic is a wall of beef. Metu would have no chance, Richaun maybe a snowball's chance. Queta is nowhere near ready. If Sabonis isn't going to go, Len is the only reasonable choice.

 

[kingdivac]

From what I am reading a few days rest isn’t going to help much. Recover time varies from 3 weeks to 12 weeks depending on location and severity according to Cleveland Clinic. I’m sure he will have some type of brace but I wonder how he is going to avoid re-injury considering his physical style of play.

He could've possibly gotten away with a similar pinky injury 'performance-wise' somewhat - maybe - but thumb is too important to risk re-injury. Not only that, but a cast over his off-hand thumb will impede most facets of his play with it and may be somewhat dangerous to other players. I'd be surprised (and a bit dismayed) if they let him play.

 

[coolhandluke]

Get well soon, Sabonis.

It's definitely a huge blow to the Kings, who had been lucky so far with respect to injuries. There's no point in rushing him early only to aggravate the injury further requiring surgery. His physical type of play -- rebounding in traffic, banging down low with the bruisers -- requires the strong use of this off hand. Even if he plays, he would be limited in what he can do without fear. For all I care, let him take a couple of weeks off.

Definitely sucks that we couldn't take advantage of the soft home stretch but it is what it is. It's time for the rest of the team to step up and show their mettle.

 

[Pimpis Zajoba]

Jeff Stotts of the injury analysis website In Street Clothes provided further analysis on what this injury could mean for Sabonis, in addition to past examples of players playing through it:

Re: Domantas Sabonis: An avulsion fracture means the UCL of his thumb tore away a piece of bone, not that the ligament is fractured. Multiple players, including Chris Paul & Avery Bradley, have sustained the injury. Bradley opted to play through the injury & did not miss time.

 

[serbiangoat]

I'm kind of surprised you don't see way more hand/finger injuries in the NBA from dunking/guys going for stripes/ball hitting fingers at odd angles and nasty falls. You don't see that many of them imo. Sucks for the Kings Sabonis was in lifetime form.

 

[Kingster]

Not good, no matter how you cut it. He's going to be subpar if he manages to play with it, and if he doesn't play the Kings lose their MVP entirely. To me this injury lowered the Kings' chances of getting to the playoffs by a considerable degree.

 

[captain bill]

From what I am reading a few days rest isn’t going to help much. Recover time varies from 3 weeks to 12 weeks depending on location and severity according to Cleveland Clinic. I’m sure he will have some type of brace but I wonder how he is going to avoid re-injury considering his physical style of play.

It’s an avulsion fracture which is tendon pulling smart part of the bone away from main part which sounds like something that could easily result in a worse injury if it’s impacted before fully healed. But I’m basing that off like 2 minutes of googling

 

[Spike]

We also have to recognize that you're talking about an elite athlete with constant care. It's not like Joey Bagadonuts is trying to recover so that he can lace them up at the Y.

Yes, we should be concerned, but maybe we'll see how things progress. If it were up to me, I wouldn't play him the next two games for sure vs. Jokic. I think with a healthy Sabonis we split the games, but with him less than 100%, we would likely go 0-2 anyway, and I wouldn't risk aggravating it further. With at least a few extra days off, it might set a little better.

Len is the smart move here - I don't see any other 5 on the roster that can both run some high post action, rebound, and throw a body on Jokic. That means he'll be in foul trouble within 5 minutes.

 

[Remi]

here is some explanation:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1607597071166771201

 

[New Era]

I'm pretty sure if him playing risked further injury, the organization wouldn't let him play (nor would his agent want him to). He's a warrior so I'm sure he'll gut it out and be just fine.

 

[NewArena]

No that I think it is necessarily a bad idea, but how does brown go from leaving Alex on the end of the bench all season long to starting him overnight?

I’m fairly certain it’s for the Jokic matchup and only for that. Can’t put Metu or those other guys on em for an extended amount of time

 

[NewArena]

Not good, no matter how you cut it. He's going to be subpar if he manages to play with it, and if he doesn't play the Kings lose their MVP entirely. To me this injury lowered the Kings' chances of getting to the playoffs by a considerable degree.

Eh, we’ll see. I wouldn’t just assume he’s gonna be “subpar”, he seems tough as nails and is so damn skilled on top of that. Let’s see

 

[NewArena]

I don’t think we’re going to suddenly lose 10 in a row either way. Without Sabonis, we still have pieces and a certain talent level including Monk and Huerter that we never had in the Fox era. With the west being so wide open, i truly think we’ll be ok and i trust whatever Sabonis and the Kings decide to do going forward.

if he’s simply “questionable” for tonight, they must not be too worried about this injury getting much worse or too debilitating.

 

[captain bill]

I'm pretty sure if him playing risked further injury, the organization wouldn't let him play (nor would his agent want him to). He's a warrior so I'm sure he'll gut it out and be just fine.

You’d hope but it would be far from the first time a professional sports org let a player back earlier than they were ready resulting in serious injury

 

[The_Jamal]

I’m fairly certain it’s for the Jokic matchup and only for that. Can’t put Metu or those other guys on em for an extended amount of time

Yeah we don't want a Damian Jones repeat of last season, who is a lot bigger than Holmes/Metu. Jokic just ate him for breakfast/lunch/Dinner and was going right at him every time down the floor.

 

[kingsboi]

here is some explanation:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1607597071166771201

interesting that soccer players sustain this injury considering they play with their feet, I suppose the falls and flops they take takes a toll?

 

[macadocious]

I got it skiing years ago. It’s called skiers thumb. I was following my son down a half pipe and he fell right in front of me and I swerved to miss him and I launched off the end and jammed my pole into the snow and it sprained my thumb. Hurts like a ***** and you can’t grab stuff.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

interesting that soccer players sustain this injury considering they play with their feet, I suppose the falls and flops they take takes a toll?

It might potentially be related to the players never having their hands in a ready position to catch a ball - if it comes and hits the hand, the hand may be in a more vulnerable position than a catch attempt. Also (not being a soccer fan I don't know if this might be a strategy) players may intentionally kick a ball into the other team's (unready) hands to try to draw a penalty.

 

[kingsboi]

It might potentially be related to the players never having their hands in a ready position to catch a ball - if it comes and hits the hand, the hand may be in a more vulnerable position than a catch attempt. Also (not being a soccer fan I don't know if this might be a strategy) players may intentionally kick a ball into the other team's (unready) hands to try to draw a penalty.

players usually put their hands behind their back during a kick so they won't get called for a penalty but I presume that factors aren't limited to one option

 

[Kingster]

Eh, we’ll see. I wouldn’t just assume he’s gonna be “subpar”, he seems tough as nails and is so damn skilled on top of that. Let’s see

He's tough, but he's not superhuman. If he tries to tough it out opponents are going to hammer that hand repeatedly. It will feel like a sledge hammer is being taken to it. That's why I hate, hate, hate hand injuries. You've got to have your hands to play basketball and they are easy targets for the opposition to re-injure the hand or at the least make it difficult for the hand to heal. If he has to sit out for 4-6 weeks I'm all for it rather than watching a cripple out there getting hammered by all those accidental on purpose wallops on his hand.