Deron Williams has been diagnosed with a fracture of the cartilage portion of the left 12th rib and is out indefinitely, the Brooklyn Nets announced today.
Williams first damaged the area during the team’s Sunday night loss against the Miami Heat, first suffering what he felt was a “tweak” in the first half, and a “cramp” late in the fourth quarter.
“Deron reported some soreness above this area over the weekend and as a result underwent imaging studies on Monday, which were negative,” Nets team doctor Riley Williams III said in a prepared statement. “Yesterday (Wednesday) during the game he reported a new onset of symptoms below the prior area of soreness. New imaging studies done today demonstrated the fracture.
“There is no timetable for his return. He will be re-assessed in one week.”
Williams has averaged 13.9 points, 6.3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 31.3 minutes per game this season, coming off the bench in his last seven games following a low-grade left calf strain. He is shooting a career-low 39.9 percent from two-point range.
The rib cartilage injury is another setback in a long list of Deron Williams injuries since joining the Nets in February 2011.
