Less than two weeks after under going surgery to repair the fracture of the fourth metacarpal on his left hand, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Josh Hart was going through shooting drills at the team’s practice facility.
It did not include contact, and Hart was wearing a protective wrap on his left hand. “He’s been getting some shots up, but this is the most he’s done as far as moving and doing drill-work,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton said.
Although the activity is a step in the right direction for Hart, who was projected to miss four to six weeks while recovering, it’s not a sign he’s on the cusp of returning.
“His hand is pretty fat still. We’ll keep re-evaluating him, but my guess is at least a couple weeks (to return),” Walton explained.
Although it remains mathematically possible that Hart could see the court before season’s end, the Lakers don’t see reason to press the matter.
“It’s near the end of the season, so unless the doctors have 100 percent cleared him, there will be no rush to get him back,” Walton said.
In light of what Hart is able to do on the court, Walton did admit to being more optimistic now than he initially was that the rookie guard will make a return.
Hart said prior to his work on the court he’d been limited to riding a stationary bike. He has a “very flexible plan” in place but it’s largely dependent on how his hand responds.