Oklahoma City Thunder’s Andre Roberson Still A Long Way From Returning

Oklahoma City Thunder swingman and lockdown defender Andre Roberson has reportedly experienced another setback during the rehab of his injured left knee. According to ESPN’s Royce Young, Roberson felt some discomfort during a workout. An MRI revealed an avulsion fracture in the surgically repaired knee. Roberson will now be re-evaluated in six weeks.

According to NewsOK’s Erik Thorne, the injury came during a non-contact drill. Roberson jumped and landed and he experienced the discomfort. While the Thunder have already established itself as arguably the best defensive team in the NBA without Roberson, there is no question the return of the 26-year-old would be an instant boost to their lineup.

Last year, the Thunder lost Roberson in January to a ruptured patellar tendon. The injured knee was originally supposed to keep him out of action for two additional months, but this recent setback will prolong his return yet again.

For those who are unaware of what an avulsion fracture is, the mayoclinic.org describes it as followed, “when a small portion of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone.” If the tear is severe enough, an additional surgery could be required.

Injuries have hit the Thunder hard this season. Superstar and former league MVP Russell Westbrook has missed eight of the team’s 20 games. In Roberson’s absence, 20-year-old Terrence Ferguson saw his minutes increase, but he’s out at least two weeks with a bad ankle. Another young and promising swingman who has been elevated because of the rash of injuries is Hamidou Diallo. However, he’s been out of action since he suffered a leg injury after a scary fall against the Golden State Warriors on November 21.

Diallo avoided serious injury, but he has still missed the team’s last three games. Last season Roberson averaged 5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in 39 contests before he was injured. That might not sound like the stat line of a difference maker, but it’s difficult to quantify Roberson’s overall impact on the Thunder–especially on the defensive end–by simply looking at basic statistics.

This latest setback is especially frustrating for Roberson, the Thunder, and their fans because it appeared he was so close to returning to a lineup that could use the depth and expertise. The video in the tweet below from Michael Kinney shows Roberson seemingly close to healthy on November 28, getting up some warm-up shots.

These kinds of images give the player, team and fanbase hope. With the newest developments, those hopes are at the very least put on the backburner.

As it stands, Westbrook, Paul George, Alex Abrines and Jerami Grant will have to continue carrying the load until the rest of their teammates get healthier.

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