The Oklahoma City Thunder received some troubling news following reports that their best player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be out for a significant amount of time. What was initially deemed as a minor foot injury appears to be serious, as confirmed by Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault to the media on Wednesday.
Via Bryan Keating of OKC KOCO-TV:
“I don't want to use long-term because it's vague, but it's not day-to-day. It's going to be a more significant time than day-to-day. It's an injury that we now need to look at,” the OKC tactician revealed.
Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to be out for extended period with right foot plantar fasciitis:
Mark Daigneault: "It's not day-to-day, it's going to be a more significant amount of time…this one is an injury that we need to take a look at" (1) pic.twitter.com/CoDbPIuLIR
— Bryan Keating (@KOCOKeating) March 25, 2021
It remains unclear how Gilgeous-Alexander exactly sustained his injury, considering he looked healthy against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Thunder's previous outing. The 22-year-old Canadian poured in 31 points, four assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and one steal in 31 minutes while shooting 11-of-23 from the field and 4-for-6 from long range.
Daigneault, however, added that the injury did not happen in one particular play and was a result of some wear-and-tear.
Mark Daigneault: "It sounds like it was a little bit more cumulative, I don't think it's something that happened on a particular play" (2) pic.twitter.com/JwfzvLgzZd
— Bryan Keating (@KOCOKeating) March 25, 2021
SGA, of course, continues to play like an All-Star for the Thunder in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season. Led by the brilliance of their 6-foot-6 playmaker, OKC has actually stayed competitive in the tough Western Conference, currently tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the 11th and 12th places in the standings with a 19-24 slate. In 35 games this season, the third-year guard has been tallying 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists and is leading the Thunder in multiple statistical categories.
While not a lot of pundits expect the Thunder to break into the Top 8 come playoff time, it appears that their chances are now clearly out the window if Gilgeous-Alexander sits out for a while.
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