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Mo Williams' surgery Friday was to repair a "complete tear" in his right thumb that was nearly identical to the injury he suffered in 2008 while with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The specifics of the injury Williams suffered on Dec. 22 in Miami were previously unknown, with the Jazz first listing the thumb as "severely sprained" and later amending the point guard's status to "right thumb surgery." He has missed eight games since injuring his thumb while defending a drive by Mario Chalmers. While Williams has commonly been said to be out a minimum of six weeks, the reality could be much harsher. He will have a pin removed from his thumb after six weeks, which is when "the rehab really starts," he said.
"I'm going to fight to get back," Williams said. "I'm going to go by the proper protocol, try to do it the right way and make sure I'm 100 percent when I get back."
The Jazz's starting point guard and captain averages 12.9 points and 6.7 assists in 24 games. However, now in his 10th season, Williams has missed 10-plus games due to injuries six times.
Williams is more than familiar with what the rehab this time around entails. He suffered a similar injury at the end of the 2008 season before undergoing surgery in the summer. That surgery, like Friday's, was performed by hand specialist Dr. Michelle Carlson in New York.
The lone difference between this injury and the one he suffered in 2008, Williams said, was that this time he suffered a small bone chip in the thumb. The primary date to watch, though, is that six week mark, around the All-Star break, when Williams will be reevaluated.
"We'll see where it goes from there," he said. "That timelne can be long, can be short. We're going to fight to get back and we're going to listen to [head trainer Gary Briggs] and the guys and we're going to make the right decision."
— Bill Oram