This Is Going To Be Interesting

By Randy Renner

The Oklahoma City Thunder are back to not having enough healthy players to hold a full scrimmage. Who knows how things could look by Opening Night in Portland on Wednesday.

They were as healthy as they've been since the start of training camp on Thursday morning, that good fortune lasted less than 24 hours and since then more problems have piled on.

The news coming Friday evening that free agent signee Anthony Morrow would miss four to six weeks with a strained MCL in his left knee was another stunning blow. Then Saturday neither Andre Roberson nor Perry Jones were able to practice.

Roberson tweaked an ankle and Jones' right knee was sore again.

Hopefully Roberson will be able to go by Wednesday night in Portland, maybe even before. Jones is probably the bigger worry. His right knee has been problematic since his college days at Baylor. He had it "scoped" over the summer but apparently something still isn't right.

Jones missed a couple of preseason games and some practices because of soreness in the knee, the same issue he's having now.

It's especially concerning since Jones is being counted on to play more than he ever has because Kevin Durant out. Jones basically is KD's backup, though he can play some other positions too.

All the injuries have made just practicing with enough players on the floor to simulate game conditions impossible at times and those situations are forcing head coach Scott Brooks to juggle starting lineups and rotations constantly. He's also been forced to scrub practices all together more than he would normally at this time of year.

The team is supposed to practice today after taking Sunday off and again tomorrow before flying to Portland for the season opener on Wednesday night.

Saturday afternoon Brooks wasn't totally sure who would be healthy enough to be in his first starting lineup of the 2014-15 season much less how his rotation would look.

He will settle on something for today's practice and hope the only changes will be to add someone, not to have to subtract yet again.
 

Randy RennerComment