Kevin Durant Injured: Out 6-8 Weeks
Oklahoma City Thunder fans had a rough start to their Sundays when the Thunder released news that reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant would be out 6-8 weeks with a Jones fracture in his foot. That time frame would leave him out until sometime around December, and leaves people wondering how the Thunder will respond in the season’s opening months.
Obviously people’s first thought is that most of the weight will be on the shoulders of KD’s sidekick, Russell Westbrook. There’s no question the duo of Westbrook and Durant is the best tandem the NBA has to offer, and many believe Westbrook is a top five NBA player. The Thunder should be able to keep their head above water in Durant’s absence. One of the concerns people will have will be the shot selection of of the all star point guard. In 41 game minutes without Durant on the floor, Westbrook took a whopping 35 shots. Yes, Westbrook will have to take a high volume of shots, but he will need to make sure he’s getting role players such as Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson involved as well. There’s no doubt in my mind that Westbrook is up for this challenge.. he’s simply the most athletic point guard this league has ever seen. Don’t be surprised to see him average near 30 points a contest while Durant is out.
Now I will present my worst case scenario…..
With the Western Conference being as good as it is, if the Thunder struggle-bus their way to a .500 record in Durant’s absence, they will have a tough hole to dig out of if they want to ultimately get the number one spot in the West when playoffs role around. Also, if Durant is brought back cautiously like the Thunder is known to do (see Westbrook injury) the Thunder could have trouble getting in a rhythm. Especially if Westbrook gets used to being the only guy in town, the offense could take awhile to get adjusted.
Home court advantage is vital for the Thunder entering the playoffs. They lost all three of their road games against the Spurs in last season’s Western Conference finals. The Thunder also have one of the best home court advantages in the league. Therefore it makes it even more crucial for the Thunder to excel without their best player. The window for winning a championship in OKC is two years before Durant hits free agency, so the team needs to be in a good position when he returns so he can bolster them to the top spot in the West. Say the Thunder have to settle with the fourth spot when the playoffs role around, they will have a much tougher test to the finals in a juggernaut Western Conference.
Players such as Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb and Andre Roberson will need to step up while KD is out. I assume one of them will start at small forward, and will have to contribute heavily to make up for the 30 points a night KD would normally give them. Serge Ibaka will put some of the scoring load on his shoulders, and the addition of Anthony Morrow should help since he’s a knock down shooter. The Thunder play only eight playoff teams from last season before December 1st, which bodes will since Durant will return around that time. I believe KD will serve as a motivator to these young guys, and the Thunder will find a way to get by in his absence and eventually earn one of the top seeds in the Western Conference
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