After suffering from a Jones fracture in his right foot, Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant may be sidelined for about six to eight weeks and may not be able to play during the opening game of his team against Portland Trail Blazers this coming Oct. 29.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti told USA Today that Durant complained of foot discomfort after a team practice last Saturday. The team had it examined and found out that he was suffering from Jones fracture. Presti said that medical specialists are now devising a treatment plan for the player.
"We are in the process of collaboratively evaluating the most appropriate next steps with Kevin, his representatives, and Thunder medical personnel. Until a course of action is determined, we are unable to provide a timeline specific to Kevin's case," Presti noted in the statement released by the team.
With the unclear timetable of his recovery, Yahoo Sports noted that it is also unsure if he would need surgery. It added that he might not be able to participate during the first month of the season and a possible extension.
In a separate USA Today report, it discussed that the Jones fracture is different from other fractures as it is more toward the back of the foot. "The back end of the long bone of the metatarsal, just forward from that. That has a very low blood supply and very low healing potential (without surgery) as a result," the report noted.
The absence of Durant in his team would make a really big difference as he is considered one of the top players in the league. Yahoo Sports even called Durant's injury as a "tough blow" to the team but noted that his situation will not affect his performance once he comes back on the court.
"He's been fantasy basketball's No. 1 player in four of the past five seasons (he finished third in the other) but will now likely be taken in the 15-20 range of drafts with this news," Yahoo Sports added.
Durant, according to Sports Illustrated, is also the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and has been named an All-Star in the past five seasons of the NBA. He averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the past NBA season with 50.3 percent shooting from the field.
Durant's team, has been haunted by injury problems including Russel Westbrook's absence in most games for the past seasons and Serge Ibaka's battle with a calf injury, USA Today recalled. But the absence of Durant would be devastating for the team considering that he has contributed a lot in the victory of the Thunder during the last season, almost reaching the NBA finals.
With his absence, a possible replacement would be forward Perry Jones, who according to USA Today, has been expected to do more and better for his team.
Hopefully Durant will be able to recover soon and that in his absence the whole team will work harder and score points especially during the games of the regular season.
