Tough break for Sochan: Spurs forward awaits surgery, may be sidelined for months
SAN ANTONIO - The Spurs were hit with more bad news on Tuesday evening when team officials confirmed that forward Jeremy Sochan suffered a fractured left thumb during the Spurs' game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday Night.
Before the news was released, Sochan posted a video of himself talking about staying in the present, acknowledging blessings, and trying not to worry about the future.
Sochan will reportedly undergo surgery to repair the injury. The Spurs can't announce a specific timeline for his return, but it appears his injury is not good news for either Sochan or his team, especially since the fracture is serious enough to require surgery. The exact healing time will vary depending on the severity of the fracture and the type of surgery performed. Experts tell us similar fractures of the proximal phalanx of the left thumb typically sideline players 20-25 games. Generally, the injured player will be in a splint or cast for several weeks, and it may take months before the player can return to all their normal activities.
A specialist surgeon with more than a decade of treating traumatic injuries explains that a thumb fracture needing surgery requires doing one of two things procedurally
A.) Open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). This is because the fracture is more severe/unstable and requires an incision with placement of plates and screws to secure the bone.
B.) Closed Reduction Percutaneous Pinning (CRPP). Fractures can be manually reduced and stabilized using pins that are placed without making an incision. Essentially an internal cast.
Last season, San Antonio's Chris Paul, who played with the Golden State Warriors at the time, suffered a similar hand fracture injury which required surgery and caused him to miss 21 consecutive games.
In the meantime, the Spurs coaching staff will have to decide which player or combination of players can help fill the considerable void that Sochan's absence will leave. The Polish forward had been making a strong case for consideration as a candidate for the NBA's Most Improved Player during the team's first few games.
Rookie Stephon Castle, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and second-year forward Sidy Cissoko appear to be candidates to take some of Sochan's playing time, but each of them would have to elevate certain aspects of their game considerably to help this team win.
Castle is an excellent defender but doesn't yet rebound or score as well as Sochan does. He also would come under pressure physically, driving to the basket and elevating like the taller Sochan does regularly.
Mamukelashvili is tall, strong, moves well without the ball and appears able to stretch the floor with outside shooting, but has been inconsistent early on with his rebounding, defensive energy, and ball movement.
Cissoko has shown flashes of good rebounding, excellent passing, and physicality to go with his defensive prowess, but he has yet to show consistency in his scoring abilities. He could benefit the most from this experience if allowed to fill Sochan's shoes if he is able to show coaches early on that he is ready for the challenge. For the Spurs, who have invested a lot of time and see progress in his development, it would be a welcomed sight.
The Spurs play the Houston Rockets tonight after splitting back-to-back games with them last week. During those two games, Sochan played with a lot of energy on both sides of the floor. In the first game, he scored 22 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists. In the second game, he contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds. He will be missed regardless.
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