Kofi Inkoom
Aleksej Pokusevski will be absent from the OKC Thunder’s season opener due to an ankle strain injury.
The upcoming season holds significant importance for Pokusevski, who is approaching his 22nd birthday and will become a restricted free agent this summer unless he signs a surprising extension.
Traditionally, the OKC Thunder avoid letting players reach this restricted free agency stage, often opting to trade them before they reach that point, as they did with Darius Bazley last year.
This upcoming summer holds immense significance for Aleksej Pokusevski as he enters his fourth NBA season.
In the 2022-23 season, Pokusevski experienced the best performance of his career, although it was unfortunately cut short by injury.
He fractured his arm just before the Summer League, disrupting his offseason training. Now, Pokusevski is confronted with yet another injury concern.
After recovering from his arm injury, Aleksej Pokusevski was engaged in pre-training camp workouts when he attempted to block a shot and landed on another player’s foot, resulting in an ankle injury, although it’s not a fracture.
While Pokusevski can still engage in shooting and light exercises, his expected timeframe to return to full-contact play is 6-8 weeks.
Per Thunder PR: Aleksej Pokuševski sustained a right ankle sprain during an offseason workout in Oklahoman City yesterday. He will be re-evaluated in approximately six weeks to determine his return to play. pic.twitter.com/jQep2frLsD
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) September 20, 2023
These injuries must be frustrating for Pokusevski, especially considering he seemed to be making significant progress in his career before a leg injury in December.
Up to this point in his career, Aleksej Pokusevski has participated in 140 games, with an average of eight points, five rebounds, two assists, and 1.5 combined steals and blocks (referred to as “STOCKS”) per game.
In the 2022-23 season, Aleksej Pokusevski, despite playing only 34 games, displayed impressive stats.
He averaged 1.3 blocks per game, had a three-point shooting percentage of 36%, and contributed eight points and nearly five rebounds (specifically, 4.7 rebounds) per game.
Fans of the OKC Thunder are hoping that this injury won’t hinder Pokusevski’s start to the season, as the seven-foot tall forward was part of some exciting lineups that Coach Mark Daigneault planned to use in the 2023-24 season.
While his future with the team is uncertain, even if he returns on the longer side of the estimated recovery period, it would place Pokusevski back around mid-November.
Given the ample opportunities ahead of him to prove himself, it’s likely that he will remain in Oklahoma City.
The organization’s trust in him and his promising performance last November suggests that there’s still plenty of optimism surrounding Pokusevski.