The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without Serge Ibaka for the next month and possibly more after he had surgery on his knee and this comes after Ibaka has missed the last three games while dealing with soreness and with OKC battling for a playoff spot in the western conference.
According to ESPN.com, Ibaka underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to help bring down swelling and soreness in his knee and now he could be out for up to six weeks while recovering. Sam Presti announced the news on Tuesday and it comes after Ibaka was dealing with soreness in his knee since February. ESPN reports that Ibaka went through tests and also had an MRI, which showed no long-term damage to the knee.
Ibaka had sat out of the previous three games for the Thunder and now he will be on the mend for at least a month. The Thunder have dealt with injuries all season, with Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and now Ibaka all missing significant time. Ibaka is one of the most important players for the Thunder, as he has been averaging 14 points and eight rebounds for the team since February 1 and is a force on the defensive end. Ibaka is averaging two and a half blocks per game this season along with 14 points and seven rebounds and over the past month and a half he has been shooting 52 percent from the floor.
Durant has been dealing with injuries this season and in that time, Westbrook has stepped up, pushing the Thunder into playoff contention. The team is 37-70 this season and they are in the eighth playoff spot in the west for the time being, right there with the Pelicans. Ibaka could be back in time for the playoffs if the team makes it, but it would cut things close for the first round. Steven Adams and Enes Kanter have played in place of Ibaka and Scott Brooks likely will use that duo while he is out.
The Thunder are ranked eighth in the league in scoring this season and first in rebounds per game. The team is hoping to make the playoffs, as they feel they can be a dangerous team even as an eight seed. Durant is heading into the final year of his contract next season and many have started to speculate about what he will do. Durant is from Washington and could be a target to come back to play for the Wizards, while the Knicks, Lakers and basically everyone else will be trying to convince him to sign.
