The Maine Red Claws have just had their top big man shelved due to a torn ligament in his thumb (or pincer claw) and the Bobcats have now lost even more on their investment.

Those hoping to see Ajinca “beast it” on the low block this season will have to wait a bit longer. With the exception of rookie Derrick Brown, Coach Larry Brown has honored his reputation of keeping youngsters on the bench. Therefore, signs of Ajinca’s progress have been available only in the slim garbage time minutes he received before December. Since the team sent the second year forward/center to their D-League affiliate in Maine, reports have slowly surfaced of Ajinca’s improved play and recent selection to the D-League All Star squad.  Unfortunately, Alexis has hit a big obstacle at what could  be a pivotal point in his NBA career.

Before the team’s departure for their current West Coast trip, the coach and GM openly admitted their need for a backup to power forward Boris Diaw. Most would assume that the team would have finally called up Freedom Fries from the D-League to give it a shot.  At last, everyone would have had a chance to see if this guy had been able to develop a NBA-ready game or not. This latest injury put that evaluation on hold.

Since the day following the 2008 NBA Draft, Bobcats fans, followers, and apologists have been watching to see some glimmer of justification for the selection of Alexis Ajinca late in the first round. Charlotte used a pick, acquired from Denver just days earlier, for this obscure and phenomenally lanky Frenchman. Did they have some type of insider knowledge on this guy or was he simply the consolation prize after Indiana’s selection of Roy Hibbert?

The team expects Ajinca to miss at least six weeks following surgery to repair the damage in his thumb. The extent of the injury will not be fully known until he undergoes the procedure. It can be expected that the training staff will use this recovery period to create experimental protein shakes and improve on the strength of Alexis’ lower body. Additionally, the team will likely ban him from doing anything but singing while his friends play Rock Band.

MORE TEAM NEWS:

The Bobcats take on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, looking to keep the streak alive against the reigning champs. In case you didn’t know, the Cats have won 3 straight in LA and 6 of the last 7 matchups. More:  NBA.com Preview | Charlotte Observer Report : Gerald Wallace could miss tonight’s game.

ESPN has just posted a report that the Bobcats sale will be finalized by the end of March. It appears that George Postolos (formerly with the Rockets organization) has submitted an offer to Robert Johnson and Michael Jordan’s group of investors has until the end of this month to match the offer.

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