Pokusevski Injury Hurts Already Depleted Thunder

Aleksej Pokusevski could miss time again this season.

The injury bug has popped up throughout the season for Oklahoma City, and three separate times for Pokusevski over the season.

On Tuesday Pokusevski played just two minutes before leaving with a left leg injury.

Pokusevski has been a key cog for the Thunder this season both in the starting lineup and off of the bench. He’s been OKC’s go-to piece in the paint.

Pokusevski is averaging 8.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and two assists per game this season and having one his best seasons in his short career.

His injury hurts the Thunder even if OKC was fully healthy. However, OKC is not fully healthy, especially in the paint with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl still recovering from an ankle injury.

While there’s no official word on how long Pokusevski will be out, or if he’ll miss Thursday’s game, any missed time is significant for the Thunder with an already lacking group of big men.

Rookie Jaylin Williams will likely see time on the court after he was recalled from the G League Wednesday. Williams hasn’t been dominant in his time in the NBA, but did post a triple-double Tuesday with the Oklahoma City Blue.

Injuries have bugged the Thunder for multiple seasons in a row, but another shot to the paint depth may turn things down for an OKC team who has won four of its last five games.

Any injury to experience OKC pieces is crucial with the youngest lineup in the league, but another starter down puts more weight on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is already shouldering most of the OKC offense.

With no known time frame for Robinson-Earl’s return or the extent of Pokusevski’s injury, the Thunder will be looking to a mix of veterans and rookies to step up to fill the void.

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