All-Star guard Mitch Richmond will undergo surgery on his fractured right thumb and miss the rest of the season, the Sacramento Kings said Friday.
Richmond was injured Feb. 11 while trying to steal the ball from Atlanta's Mookie Blaylock. His hand was placed in a cast the next day, and he has missed six games.Richmond leads the Kings in scoring with 21.9 points per game, and is averaging 4.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds. He was named as a reserve to the All-Star team for the first time, but was unable to play last Sunday. He was the first Sacramento player to make the All-Star team.
Team physician Dr. Richard Marder said Richmond's thumb will remain in a cast for four to six weeks after surgery, and will be followed by a rehabilitation period of four to six weeks.
Dr. Bill Green, a hand specialist, will perform the surgery either next Tuesday or Wednesday in San Francisco.
The 6-foot-5 Richmond was placed on the injured list and 7-foot Duane Causwell was activated from the injured list. Causwell has averaged 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 37 games. He has missed 15 games with a fractured left foot, and is not expected to play until Wednesday.