Happ out for three months due to dislocation in A Coruña

The Canary team received the news during the week of double matches, facing commitments in both Eurocup and Liga Endesa. The club published the official medical report following additional tests and consultations with specialists in Tenerife and the United States. Jaka Lakovic will have to reorganize his rotations without the 30-year-old, 2.08-meter tall center.

The Injury and Its Context

The injury occurred during the match last Saturday in A Coruña, where La Laguna Tenerife was defeated by Leyma Coruña with a score of 93-89 in the sixth round of the national competition. This result interrupted a streak of six consecutive victories that the Tenerife team had accumulated across both competitions. The injury specifically affects the extensor tendon of the third finger of the right hand, an area that requires stability in grip and ball-handling movements.

After conducting the necessary additional tests, the club explained that the player will undergo a treatment that will not require surgery, which is positive news that avoids a more invasive procedure. The estimated recovery time, according to the official statement, will be about three months depending on clinical evolution. This timeline covers almost the entire remaining regular phase of the Eurocup, estimated at nine games from Thursday until the visit of Siauliai to Santiago Martín on January 13.

Impact on the Competitions

Happ’s absence comes at a delicate time for La Laguna Tenerife, which is positioned high in both competitions. In Liga Endesa, the team is in fourth place with a record of four wins and two losses, forming part of the seven teams with that record. In the Eurocup, it leads Group B with four wins and one loss, maintaining its position near the top of the standings.

The estimated absence will cover the remainder of the regular phase of the Eurocup and a good part of the first half of the Liga Endesa. The Canary team faces a demanding schedule in the coming days: on Thursday, November 5, they will host U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the Eurocup, on Sunday, November 8, they will face Asisa Joventut in the Liga Endesa, and on Wednesday, November 11, they will travel to play Siauliai again in the Eurocup.

Happ’s Performance This Season

The center born in Illinois had shown solid performance so far this season. In the Liga Endesa, he played five games with an average of 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 16:58 minutes per game, recording a valuation of 7.6. In the Eurocup, he added another five games, four of them as a starter, contributing 8.0 points and 3.2 rebounds with a 66.7 percent shooting accuracy on two-pointers.

Throughout his career in the Liga Endesa, Happ has accumulated 105 games with averages of 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 15.4 in valuation. His international experience with North Macedonia makes him a valuable asset for the project of La Laguna Tenerife, especially in key moments of the competitions.

Reorganization of the Team Without Happ

The absence of the American center forces Jaka Lakovic to rethink the offensive and defensive structure of the team. The Slovenian coach will need to redistribute minutes and responsibilities among the available big men to maintain competitiveness on both fronts. The Canary team comes into this week having strung together two games scoring 100 points for the first time since 1987 in October, demonstrating offensive capability that now needs to compensate for the loss of one of its key players.

The first match without Happ will be precisely against U-BT Cluj-Napoca on Thursday at 21:00 (20:00 in the Canary Islands) at the Santiago Martín Pavilion. This match marks the beginning of an adaptation period for La Laguna Tenerife, which will have to maintain its competitive level despite the center's absence over the coming months. The management of this injury and the team’s response capabilities will largely determine the development of both competitions in the coming weeks.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Happ fuera tres meses por luxación en A Coruña