Coming into this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder had their biggest expectations since the Russell Westbrook era. However, unlike last year, the Thunder has dealt with the injury bug all year. Key players have missed significant time this season. Isaiah Hartenstein missed the beginning part of the season and is now out again for at least a week. Chet Holmgren has been out since November 10th and isn’t returning until around February. Alex Caruso has been in and out of the lineup all year playing only 23 games. Jaylin Williams was out for the first couple of months of the season and has only played in 14 games this year. Finally, their MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed his first game with a wrist injury.
It just seems like every week the Thunder are dealt with another injury. However, despite all of the injury problems they have had this season they are still 34-7 and on pace to win just under 70 games. Injuries can be a deciding factor in whether or not a team wins the NBA Championship. In the 2019 playoffs, the Golden State Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in the finals due to all of their injuries, as well as in 2015 when the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in the finals because of their injuries. The question for the Thunder now becomes should they be concerned with the injury bug carrying over into the playoffs?
Should the Thunder Be Concerned With All Their Injuries?
Why The Thunder Shouldn’t Be Concerned
Even though injuries have cost other teams the Larry O’Brien trophy in the past as stated above. The Thunder shouldn’t be too concerned about their injuries for three reasons. The first reason is no one who has been injured this year has been ruled out for the year. The only person who is out for the year is Nikola Topić but the Thunder knew that when they drafted him. Holmgren is going to be coming back in February. Hartenstein will be back in 1-2 weeks, and Ajay Mitchell most likely will return right before the playoffs start. This means they will be getting everyone back before the playoffs start.
The second reason is the Thunder don’t have a history of injury problems. Last season was a prime example of it when they were one of the healthiest teams with most of their players playing 70 or more games. However, throughout their history, they have had instances where a player has missed the whole season due to an injury. Since their existence in 2008, they have been pretty healthy every year. Ultimately, they are still 34-7 even with all of their injuries. The injuries they have faced haven’t limited their ability to win games, even in big games including a recent 20-point win over the Cavs. It doesn’t seem like they have skipped a beat all year despite their injuries.
Why They Should be Concerned
However, there are some reasons for the Thunder to be concerned about their injuries. The first one even though no one has been ruled out for the rest of the season doesn’t mean it still won’t happen. The Thunder still have 41 games left in the season and more injuries can pile up from now till the end of the season. Even though the players that are hurt are expected to return before the playoffs doesn’t mean a new injury could arise to keep them out for the playoffs. Every year, some teams go through the injury bug all year and the Thunder are hoping their injury bug was only at the beginning of the year.
The last reason why they should be concerned is the chemistry amongst the team. With players being in and out of the lineup all year, it seems like they won’t be 100 percent healthy at all this season till the playoffs. This means they will have a limited amount of chances for players like Hartenstein and Holmgren to figure out how to play with each other. That was something the Thunder wanted to figure out before the playoffs. However, this shouldn’t be too much of a concern. This Thunder core has been playing with each other for around three years now. In addition, they are a very tight and close-knit group that shows up in their post-game interviews. It is a matter of figuring out how a few players will mesh together, and the Thunder will have a limited time to figure it out.
The Last Word on Thunder Injuries
Overall, there should be some level of concern for the Thunder with their injuries. Nevertheless, with how the season has gone and with their history, the level of concern should be minimal. They have looked dominant despite their injuries and have looked like the best team all year. However, injuries might be the only Achilles heel for this team, and their ability to be healthy for the playoffs could determine whether or not this team wins the NBA Finals.
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