J.R. Smith to undergo thumb surgery

The Cleveland Cavaliers' worst fears concerning J.R. Smith's injured right thumb have become a reality.

The eccentric 31-year-old shooting guard will need to undergo surgery, the team announced Wednesday.

He's considered out indefinitely.

Smith hurt his thumb during Tuesday's narrow 114-108 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. X-rays taken after the game were inconclusive, with further tests Wednesday revealing the extent of the damage.

The 2016-17 campaign has been rough for the 13-year veteran. He's barely converting one-third of his shot attempts at just 33.7 percent, and his player efficiency rating has plummeted to a measly eight.

His absence should lead to more minutes for the likes of Iman Shumpert and DeAndre Liggins, with Mike Dunleavy perhaps getting extended run off the bench after being mostly an afterthought for the past month.

Should Smith miss a substantial number of games, the Cavaliers will be required to lean even more heavily on their big three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. The roster depth simply isn't there, with a second unit producing just 28.6 points per game (27th in NBA). With the team's fifth-leading scorer out of the equation, head coach Tyronn Lue has his work cut out for him in juggling playing time so as to avoid running his stars into the ground.