On Second Thought, Raja Bell Elects To Have The Surgery

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Raja Bell, who was just traded from Charlotte to Golden State, will have surgery to repair the torn ligament in his left wrist after all.

The surgery could sideline Bell for the entire season, depending on whether screws are needed to hold the wrist in place. If not, he’ll likely miss four to five weeks. Bell said he expects the worst, so it’s looking like his season might be over.

“I’m going into it, assuming it will be a big surgery,” Bell said. "If I wake up and it’s not, it’s icing on the cake. I’m prepared for the worst-case scenario, and I’ll go from there.

The natural reaction by some (including John Hollinger) is that this is a not-so-subtle way of Bell saying he has no interest in playing for Golden State. However, Don Nelson told the Chronicle that they actually pushed Bell to get the surgery instead of having him play through the pain.

The Warriors knew about Bell’s injury when they acquired him. They encouraged the decision to go ahead with the surgery.

“We knew going in that his wrist is a problem, and it’s not getting any better,” Nelson said. “I think this is the right thing to do for him and for us. We’re happy with his decision, but it does leave us in a bit of a hole.”