The New York Knicks will lose Lance Thomas after the veteran forward underwent surgery to remove loose bodies in his knee.
Lance Thomas is a guy that flies under the radar on the New York Knicks. He’s one of only a handful of veterans on the team and since he’s not a stat-stuffer, his contributions on the court can go unnoticed.
Unfortunately, Thomas’ typical hard-nosed defense will be absent from the court for at least the next month. Thomas, 30, underwent surgery on his left knee to remove loose bodies according to Knicks PR. The team will re-evaluate Thomas in four weeks.
This loss may not seem like a huge hit to David Fizdale’s rotations, but losing Thomas takes away some of the stability that Fizdale had. Thomas is a solid defender that can help create cohesion on the court. It’s likely that Thomas’ playing time would have taken a hit following the return of Kevin Knox, but having Lance in his back pocket was a luxury that Fizdale will no longer have.
Fizdale’s rotation “problems” won’t magically disappear now that Thomas is down with injury. But his injury may underscore exactly why the head coach wasn’t concerned with doling out minutes on a roster where every player is fighting for every scrap of playing time possible. Injuries are a near certainty over the course of an 82-game season.
Thomas joins Courtney Lee as a veteran spending time recovering from injury. Lee continues to battle with a sore neck and it seems like there is no end in sight to his rehab process. Rehab timetables are becoming a theme of this season and Thomas is the latest Knick to join the conversation.
