Portland Trail Blazers superstar LaMarcus Aldridge shocked everyone on Saturday, opting to delay surgery on a torn ligament in his thumb before leading the Blazers to a thrilling come-from-behind 103-96 home victory over the Washington Wizards.
However, per RealGM.com, "although Aldridge is not risking his long-term health by playing with a torn ligament, a specialist in the field said he could now be facing a recovery that will take twice as long -- up to three or four months."
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If that is indeed the case, Aldridge could miss the start of training camp next season. Hand/wrist surgeon Dr. Steven Shin of Los Angeles' Kerlan-Jobe Clinic says that's part of the downside of deciding to keep playing through the pain.
"The reason why we suggest surgery rather than waiting is the quality of ligament can deteriorate with time,'' Shin said.
"The overall recovery time goes from 6-to-8 weeks to three-to-four months," Shin added.
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