Ryan Anderson, the New Orleans Pelicans' veteran forward, has been diagnosed with a herniated disc and will be out indefinitely, the team announced today.
Anderson, a central figure in New Orleans' recent success on the court, suffered the injury on Jan. 3 in a collision with Celtics forward Gerald Wallace in the fourth quarter of a game in Boston. Anderson was taken to a Boston-area hospital for tests, and remained there as the team went on to Indianapolis.
Anderson also sat out a few games at the start of the season, due to a broken toe suffered in the preseason.
Losing the 6'10" sixth-year forward doesn't bode well for the Pelicans, who have struggled all season with injuries to key players. In the 22 games he's played this season, Anderson has averaged 19.8 points, 3.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds in 36.1 minutes a game.
Anderson usually comes off the bench, but has started in place of other injured players numerous times this year.
