New York Knicks: Lance Thomas Breaks Orbital Bone

New York Knicks forward Lance Thomas suffered a broken orbital bone and concussion-like symptoms Sunday against the Toronto Raptors.

The New York Knicks have had to deal with a malady of injuries throughout the 2016-17 season. Ever since training camp the Knicks have had to make adjustments because of players not being able to play.

Joakim Noah missed time with a hamstring injury during training camp and missed three games earlier this season; he is now dealing with a nagging shoulder problem. Kristaps Porzingis has missed five games recently because of an Achilles/heel injury. Courtney Lee has missed five games because of injury. Carmelo Anthony missed one game because of his shoulder injury, but it is a constant issue.

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You can now add Lance Thomas back to that extensive list of injuries. Thomas was inadvertently elbowed in the face by Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas Sunday afternoon about two minutes into the game. He was forced from the game as he was woozy and needed help to the locker room.

That ended Thomas’ afternoon and will sideline him for the foreseeable future. It was later revealed that Thomas suffered a fractured orbital bone and was battling concussion-like symptoms. The injury occurred around Thomas’ left cheek.

The New York Knicks PR account on Twitter shared the update, also adding that he is unlikely to play tomorrow against the Atlanta Hawks back at Madison Square Garden.

This just adds to what has been a very difficult season for Thomas. He signed a four-year, $27 million deal with the Knicks this offseason but has been unable to live up to the contract yet.

Thomas battled lower-body injuries earlier in the season, as he injured his ankle and had plantar fasciitis in both feet. It has sapped Thomas of his effectiveness on the court and the constant battle with the injuries.

Thomas had been a very serviceable player for the Knicks in recent seasons. His play defensively was nice to see and his versatility to play multiple positions gave the Knicks a chance to play some different combinations of lineups. He also extended his shooting range beyond the three-point line, which earned him more playing time.

Unfortunately, we haven’t seen much of that this season thus far. The early season injuries really put Thomas behind and the most recent injury isn’t going to help him. He had been starting whenever Porzingis was injured, but the Knicks will have to turn elsewhere now.

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With Thomas sidelined, for the time being, expect Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Justin Holiday to see their playing time increase. Kuzminskas has seen his minutes steadily increase in recent weeks, while Holiday is one of two players, along with Brandon Jennings, that has appeared in every game this season.