Shaquille O'Neal could miss rest of season for Cleveland Cavaliers with thumb injury

CLEVELAND - Suddenly, the possibility of LeBron James leaving at the end of the season is not the Cavaliers' only problem.

Shaquille O'Neal will undergo surgery Monday to repair his injured right thumb and could miss the rest of the season.

The Cavs will have to adjust to life without their big man starting tonight against the Knicks. O'Neal was diagnosed yesterday at the Curtis National Hand Center in Baltimore, where he learned he will need the surgery.

The initial diagnosis at the Cleveland Clinic over the weekend was that Shaq had suffered a sprained ligament Thursday in the Cavs' win in Boston. But yesterday's exam revealed a tear, which typically sidelines players for 6-8 weeks. There are seven weeks left in the regular season.

"Whether he's taking a trip to Baltimore or not, I'd be concerned," Cavs coach Mike Brown said before learning the bad news. "There's been plenty of games he's played for us where, without him, we probably would not have won. He's had an impact against the Lakers and Orlando and a lot of teams. When we won 13 in a row, he was a big part of it."

O'Neal is averaging 12 points and 6.7 rebounds in 53 games this season and figured largely in the Cavaliers' playoff plans, especially against Orlando center Dwight Howard.

James didn't have anything to say about O'Neal or the Knicks yesterday, declining interview requests after sitting out Cavaliers practice due to an assortment of minor ailments. While he will be back on the court tonight, James has not revealed what he thinks about the Knicks' move that will enable them to sign two superstar free agents in July.

James' teammates realize that they might have to win the title in June to prevent him from joining a second maximum-salary player in New York. When the Knicks created the cap space to recruit James and Toronto's Chris Bosh by trading for Tracy McGrady, the Cavs took notice.

"Winning a championship can beat a lot of money," said guard Mo Williams. "The organization has been great to him. We've gotten better my last two years here. That's all you can do for a player of his stature. Teams are going to come after him this summer, not only New York, but also other teams, because he's a free agent. It happens. You've just got to lay it on the line and do what it takes to keep him."