By WFAN.com
The Brooklyn Nets have already suffered plenty of injuries this season, and now another key player has gone down.
Spencer Dinwiddie recently tweaked a thumb injury that Nets coach Kenny Atkinson thinks he suffered a couple months ago. The Nets were still trying to get a full diagnosis of the situation on Thursday, but things became a bit clearer on Friday.
The team announced on Twitter that Dinwiddie would miss Friday night's "Battle of the Boroughs" with the Knicks at Barclays Center.
UPDATE: Spencer Dinwiddie will miss tonight's game due to torn ligaments in his right thumb. The team is consulting with doctors to determine the best course of action going forward. Further updates will be provided as available.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 25, 2019Atkinson spoke to the press before the game and announced that Dinwiddie will need surgery, it's just a matter of when he wants to get it. Atkinson said the decision was up to "his family and our doctors."
The Athletic's Shams Charania had reported that Dinwiddie tore ligaments in his right thumb, and that was also confirmed by Atkinson.
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A timetable for all of this still hasn't been established, as it seems like it may be the type of injury that Dinwiddie can play through. At that point, it would just be a matter of how much pain the Nets' point guard is willing to tolerate. Opting for the surgery now would put his season at risk, but could prove to be worth it in the long run.
The 25-year-old is averaging 17.2 points and 5 assists per game and is shooting 46.1 percent from the field. His play off the bench had positioned him firmly in the race for the league's Sixth Man of the Year Award.
