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Ray Allen

Rashard Lewis

Lewis injured the tendon sheath on the back of his right hand shortly into Wednesday's loss to Dallas. An MRI conducted Thursday revealed that Lewis needed surgery on the hand, which was performed successfully Friday afternoon by Dr. Carleton Keck.

"He's having such a good year individually that I'm sure at the end of the day he's disappointed this had to happen, but there's nothing we can do about it." Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty

"He's really disappointed, but he made the decision to get the operation now, which I thought was good, and get the rehab over," Sonics Coach Bob Hill said after his team practiced Friday. "In approximately eight weeks, we don't know for sure, he'll be able to come back. He's disappointed, but he's in good spirits. He's having such a good year individually that I'm sure at the end of the day he's disappointed this had to happen, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"It's unfortunate," said Allen. "I feel bad for this team, I feel bad for the people that come every night to watch us play not to be able to see him play and definitely for him. To sit in a suit on the sidelines is no fun."

Lewis will be sidelined in the midst of the best season of his NBA career. Over the season's first 27 games, Lewis averaged 21.9 points per game and shot 48.8% from the field and 90.1% from the free-throw line, all career highs, and led the NBA with 1,037 minutes. Lewis' 22.50 PER, also the best of his career, ranked him 21st in the league.

"On the road trip I had a chance to watch him and he showed up every night," said Allen. "He was consistent; he did his part and tried to carry this team. He's definitely gotten better and done some things that have taken his game to another level of effectiveness out on the floor."

"He was having a great year," added Hill. "We'll just have to see how long the rehab really takes. He can still do a lot of running, keep his cardio up. He can do ballhandling with his left hand. He wants to travel with us. I don't know if that's been decided, but he wants to stay with the team."

Now, the task for the Sonics is to replace Lewis' production. In a sense, the injury is a lateral move in that the Sonics have already been without Allen for nine games, in which they went 3-6. They lose one of their go-to players but gain another. Allen's primary concern is making sure the team executes without respect to who is sidelined.

"First and foremost, everybody has to know this is our job," he said. "Regardless of who is out there, we've got five guys who are going to be out on the floor at any given time. The guys that are out there just have to know what there job is and do it."

For the time being, the five who will be out there to start games will change. Hill told reporters that starting Saturday, when the Sonics host Toronto (7:00 p.m., , FSN, KTTH 770 AM), he intends to go to a small lineup with 6-5 Allen as the 6-10 Lewis' replacement at small forward and a backcourt of Luke Ridnour and Earl Watson, both 6-1 and natural point guards.

"We're going to have to play differently," Hill said. "We don't have much of a post-up game. Weezy's (Chris Wilcox) developing one. We'll run a different set of plays, spread the floor out, look to penetrate and pitch more."

Rounding out the lineup is center Andreas Glyniadakis. While admitting that Glyniadakis is not his best center, Hill made it clear that he intends to start the rookie big man for the foreseeable future. The net product of the two decisions is that the Sonics will bring wings Mickaël Gelabale and Damien Wilkins and big men Nick Collison and Johan Petro off the bench. Gelabale and Petro have been more comfortable with reserve roles, while Collison has better been able to stay out of foul trouble coming off the bench. That and Glyniadakis' size make him the choice as the starter in the middle.

Allen practiced for the second straight day in his comeback from the bone contusion. His foot responded well to the practice, which included contact, and he is ready to return to the court.

"It felt pretty good," Allen said. "I think I'm worried more about conditioning, but I'll hide it. Like anything, when I stop running, you feel a little slower than normal, but once I get into the routine I feel like I'm starting to glide again."

"Ray looked really good - playing small forward too," confirmed Hill. "The plays are similar at two and three, but they're different. He did a really good job."

Wilcox, who missed yesterday's practice to have his sore jaw examined, also went through the entire practice. There is no structural damage, so he will be able to play Saturday.

"He's sore - his jaw is sore - but there's no break," explained Hill. "Everything's okay with his jaw."

Now that they know who they will have in the lineup, it is up to the Sonics to find a way to win and try to get back into the playoff race without Lewis.

"My every intention is to go out and try to win games," concluded Allen. "If I have to score, if I've got to get my teammates involved, whatever I have to do to make this team better. By no means do we change what our goals are. Some young guys on the team have to mature very quickly if we have a chance of reaching those goals. We still have a great opportunity."

"We're going to try," said Hill. "It's like when Ray went down - we win three in a row. As I told you, a lot of times the first two or three games, you can maintain, but it's over the long haul. We didn't win those games on the road, but we were in most of them. We were real close and we could've, should've won."

Danny Fortson, who estimates he is a week or two away from potentially returning to the lineup after missing over a month because of his chronically sore left knee, went through the entire practice. Hill indicated that when Fortson is healthy, he may become the best option to start at center. Fortson had expressed that it was difficult to find motivation to get back on the court because of his limited role.