Nicolas Batum says he's had torn wrist ligaments for a month
Never let it be said that the Portland Trail Blazers aren't tough.
Not only has LaMarcus Aldridge decided to postpone surgery on his thumb in order to play out the season for the Western Conference title contenders, but Nicolas Batum has already been playing through an equally painful sounding injury for some time.
Batum sat out the team's Saturday game with a sprained right wrist, originally thought to be the second time this year he's sprained it. Batum missed games on Dec. 19 and Dec. 23 with the issue originally, playing a pair of games between.
As it turns out, the injury was worse than let on, with Batum admitting Saturday that his Dec. 17 fall actually caused a torn ligament in the wrist. He said he's aggravated the injury multiple times in the month-plus since and remains unsure whether he'll rest to let his wrist heal or continue playing through discomfort.
The injury to his shooting wrist appears to be taking a toll, with Batum posting his worst numbers since his 2008-09 rookie campaign. In 38 games, he's averaging 9.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists, shooting 38.8 percent from the floor and 27.8 percent from long range, though his perimeter defense remains effective and paramount to Portland's fourth-ranked defense.
| Batum | 2013-14 | Pre-Injury | Post-Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPG | 36.0 | 34.2 | 32.2 |
| PPG | 13.0 | 8.8 | 9.6 |
| RPG | 7.5 | 5.6 | 4.8 |
| APG | 5.1 | 5.2 | 3.8 |
| FG% | 46.5% | 37.1% | 41.4% |
| 3FG% | 36.1% | 23.3% | 34.8% |
Batum's absence means more run for Allen Crabbe and Will Barton, the latter of whom made better use of the opportunity Saturday.