NEW ORLEANS — After having surgery Wednesday to repair a torn abdominal muscle, Lakers guard Steve Blake is expected to sit out an additional six to eight weeks.

Blake’s surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Craig Smith, and the team’s timeline matches their initial assesment before his surgery. Still, Blake has missed 11 games already for the past month. The Lakers didn’t assess Blake would need surgery until two days ago.

According to the Lakers’ latest timeline, Blake would miss between 20-28 more games and return between mid-January to the beginning of February.

The Lakers have been struggling at point guard all season because of long-term injuries to Steve Nash (fractured left leg) and Blake. He has averaged 5.1 points on 35.3 percent shooting and 3.4 assists in 26 minutes, and is considered more dependable with his outside shot and playmaking than Chris Duhon and Darius Morris.

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