Pokusevski Injury Spells Opportunity For Thunder

On Wednesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder introduced that Aleksej Pokusevski had sustained a “non-displaced tibial plateau fracture” and will likely be re-evaluated in roughly six to eight weeks. The harm occurred after the seven-foot ahead landed awkwardly within the Thunder’s match in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night time.

This marks the third harm to a frontcourt participant for the Thunder in simply 15 days’ time. On December fifteenth, the Thunder introduced rookie ahead Ousmane Dieng additionally sustained a non-displaced fracture – to his proper wrist – and can be re-evaluated in six weeks. Since then, Dieng has missed 10 video games.

And on December twelfth, second-year ahead Jeremiah Robinson-Earl suffered a extreme ankle harm in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Since then, Robinson-Earl has missed seven video games and no timetable has been given for his return.

But wherever there are accidents, there may be additionally alternative. Both Pokusevski and Robinson-Earl had been averaging slightly over 21 minutes of motion per sport. Now, the Thunder’s Head Coach, Mark Daigneault, might want to resolve on learn how to fill these 42 minutes within the entrance courtroom for the foreseeable future.

There is not any magic crystal ball to inform us how Daigneault and his teaching workers would possibly strategy such a state of affairs, however there are a couple of concepts that make a number of sense.

If the Thunder need to use this chance to additional develop their youthful gamers, count on these minutes to go to Jaylin Williams and Tre Mann. Williams is coming off a monster triple-double efficiency within the G League, has performed simply 61 minutes with the Thunder, and has the scale at 6-foot-10 and 240 kilos to raised cope with opposing entrance courts.

Jalen Williams, to not be confused with Jaylin Williams, has performed 822 minutes – the fourth most for Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, Mann has performed solely 580 minutes and this may very well be the right alternative for the second-year guard to search out his footing and get his offense going. Daigneault will simply need to get slightly inventive with lineups.

If the franchise desires to get a better have a look at gamers on expiring contracts with the NBA Trade Deadline approaching, they might need to give Mike Muscala and Darius Bazley a heavier workload.

Muscala, a 31-year-old stretch massive, has been an enormous piece of a few of Oklahoma City’s best offensive lineups. But nearly as good of a shooter, as he’s, it’s no secret that he won’t be part of the Thunder’s long-term plans. After all, the franchise can decline his wage for subsequent season, making him a free agent, and his age doesn’t line up with the second-youngest group in NBA historical past. This may be the right alternative to spice up his commerce worth forward of the Trade Deadline.

After enjoying simply the tenth most minutes for Oklahoma City this season, it seems that Bazley’s time sporting a Thunder jersey is all however over. The fourth-year ahead hasn’t progressed as a lot as many have hoped, however Bazley nonetheless has fairly a bit to supply. And the entrance workplace might resolve they need to give the previous first-round choose one final hoorah to show his price to the Thunder, or one other NBA group.

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