While injured Brooklyn Nets stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will not suit up for their team in the NBA's Orlando “bubble” in spite of a months-long hiatus to recuperate and heal, other players have used the layover to get healthy, such as Oklahoma City Thunder veteran swingman Andre Roberson.
According to Thunder head coach Billy Donovan, via The Oklahoman's Joe Mussatto, Roberson, 28, practiced with the team on Friday.
Andre Roberson practiced today and went through everything, Billy Donovan said.
— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) July 10, 2020
Roberson's participation in team practice could be a huge boost for OKC as the defensive perimeter ace has missed the entire 2019-20 season thus far due to multiple knee surgeries. Roberson only appeared in 39 games during the 2017-18 season before his season-ending injury, last donning a Thunder jersey on Jan. 27, 2018.
In the time since Roberson's absence, the Thunder have seen a major roster revamping, most notably the departure of star point guard Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade last offseason with the Houston Rockets for, primarily, veteran floor general Chris Paul, reuniting Westbrook with ex-OKC teammate James Harden. Roberson, a former first-round selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA Draft and draft-night acquisition by the Thunder, has turned into an All-Defensive team selection in his tenure with the Northwest Division.
The Thunder also traded All-Star wing Paul George last summer, acquiring young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and veteran forward Danilo Gallinari. Despite Roberson's continued absence due to recovering from knee surgery, OKC has a top-10 defensive rating this season—an area where the Colorado product best impacts the game.
With all the replacement players joining teams in the Orlando bubble, Andre Roberson could be one more familiar face to see again with the Thunder.
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