Oklahoma City shooting guard Andre Roberson reportedly suffered a setback in his recovery from a ruptured left patella and will be sidelined an additional two months, according to Royce Young of ESPN.
Andre Roberson had a setback in his recovery, per a Thunder spokesperson. The initial injury is said to be healing well, but he had an irritation from a suture that was creating discomfort that he couldn’t play through. He will be re-evaluated in two months.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) October 5, 2018
The patella injury, which Roberson suffered last January, was supposed to keep him out until around December.
Oklahoma City thrived defensively when Roberson was on the floor. The Thunder held a defensive rating of 96.4 in the 39 games that Roberson played. That number fell to 107.6 when he was out. So it is no great surprise that OKC needs Roberson out on the floor to maximize its potential. Having Roberson defend the opposing team’s best offensive player freed up Paul George to guard someone else.
Two months puts Andre Roberson on the shelf until November/December, and even then it is no guarantee he comes right back. The report from Young says he will be “re-evaluated” in two months.
In the meantime, the Thunder will have to find someone to slot beside Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Alex Abrines, Terrance Ferguson, and former Philadelphia 76er Timothy Luwawu-Cabbarot could see some time at shooting guard.
