Cavaliers' J.R. Smith: Out 12-to-14 weeks following thumb surgery

Smith underwent surgery Friday to repair his fractured right thumb and is expected to miss 12-to-14 weeks, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis:

While the Cavaliers were bracing for Smith to miss extended time after he was diagnosed with the thumb injury after exiting Tuesday's win over the Bucks, an absence this length wasn't anticipated. With Smith's surgeon labeling his injury as a "complex fracture," he'll require more rest and rehab time than normal for a broken finger, with the projected timetable keeping him sidelined until late March or early April, right near the tail end of the regular season. The Cavaliers leaned on DeAndre Liggins, Iman Shumpert and Jordan McRae to fill most of the minutes at shooting guard in Wednesday's rematch with the Bucks while Smith was out, and unless the team opts to acquire another wing via trade, it appears all of those players will be in line for added run for the next few months. Smith appears safe to drop in just about every single-season format.