Russ Isabella-US Presswire
Steve Blake is set for abdominal surgery and will miss the next six to eight weeks.
The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that the point guard will undergo laparoscopic surgery. The procedure will be done by Dr. Craig Smith, which will mean Blake’s prolonged absence will continue.
Blake has been out since Nov. 12, adding to the woes of the Lakers point guards because Steve Nash is also out with a leg injury. Darius Morris and Chris Duhon have stepped in for the two favored point guards with mixed effects.
After the Lakers’ latest defeat, it takes them to 8-10 for the season and six out of their next seven games are on the road.
Nash still remains out for the foreseeable future but has been seen shooting after practice and traveling with the rest of the team on road trips, but he has yet to feature in a practice session.
The veteran point guards’ increase in activity is a welcome site for both coach Mike D’Antoni and the Laker fans who are desperate to see an offense run by Nash.
Despite the news that Blake won’t be back on the court until at least February, there is no reason to suspect that the Lakers will be in the market to bring in another point guard of higher quality than what is at their disposal in the shape of the 3rd and 4th choice point guards at the beginning of the season.
Kobe Bryant is certainly not happy at the absence of Blake.
“It’s a big concern for me,” he said. “Steve and I have always played extremely well together and he’s a clutch shooter and he’s a tough competitor. We’re going to be missing a lot with him being out.”
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