Josh Hart has established himself as yet another Los Angeles Lakers mid-to-late-draft steal over the course of the season, a pretty impressive task considering how many headlines have featured teammates Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma.
Hart has shown himself to be one of the team’s best all-around defenders, a fierce competitor willing to mix it up for rebounds and all the while shot nearly 40% from three.
He’s good. And he’s going to get better.
But, as this is the Lakers and we can’t have nice things, Sham Charania of Yahoo Sports is reporting Hart has fractured his left hand. Per Charania, the Lakers are looking into surgical or non-surgical options for Hart.
The first reaction (after kicking the nearest inanimate object) is to note that the injury is not on his shooting hand. So, that’s a plus from the get-go. The fracture being “small” might also be a source of optimism, but seeing as it’s in the hand and there are so many tiny bones that all must work together, let’s hold off on that for a bit.
Look, as nice as it would be to get Hart back and finish this season as strong as possible, the top priority by a longshot is making sure he enjoys a full recovery. Hart has the tools to be a legitimate NBA player for the next decade-plus, so that should remain the goal.
We’ll continue to provide updates as they come along.
Speaking of…
**UPDATE**
The Lakers and Hart have chosen surgery to mend his broken finger, according to multiple reports. This likely puts him out for the remainder of the season, though Walton did not specifically confirm or deny that potential. Hart is considered week-to-week at this point.
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