Another member of the Los Angeles Lakers has been shut down for the season. As the year comes to an end, Josh Hart will join Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram on the sidelines after dealing with a knee injury for nearly half the season.
The Lakers announced on Thursday that the shooting guard underwent an “ultrasonic debridement procedure on his right knee patellar tendon.” Hart, who had been diagnosed with knee tendonitis in January, had previously undergone platelet-rich plasma treatment that was ineffective.
BREAKING: Josh Hart underwent a successful ultrasonic debridement procedure on his right knee patellar tendon this morning.
⁰Hart is expected to make a full recovery and return to basketball activities in approximately 12 weeks. pic.twitter.com/Q5FzDmrYjO
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 28, 2019
According to the Lakers, Hart is expected to make a full recovery in about 12 weeks which would put him on a timetable to return to basketball activities in late June. The sophomore should be fully cleared by the time training camp starts.
In his second season, Hart averaged 7.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from three. Those numbers plummeted after his injury; from January 1st onward, Hart shot only 35.4 percent from the field and 25.2 percent from behind the arc.
The Lakers have shown a lot of faith in Hart, who won over the starting shooting guard job early in the season as the team was still looking for its ideal grouping. His injury clearly impacted his level of play; hopefully this procedure will allow him to make a full recovery for next season.
