Nick Collison undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery; out 4-6 weeks
By Brad Rowland
In the grand scheme of the Oklahoma City Thunder roster, veteran big man Nick Collison is a virtual afterthought. After all, the 33-year-old Collison averaged just 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game during the 2013-2014 season, and his career averages of 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game don’t stand out much either. Still, Collison is an integral part of one of the leading contenders in the Western Conference, and on Thursday, it was announced that he underwent off-season knee surgery.
Nick Collison had arthroscopic surgery today on his left knee. He's out 4-6 weeks, and then can return to normal offseason activities.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) June 19, 2014
Royce Young of ESPN (and formerly of CBS Sports) brings the report, and fortunately for both the Thunder and Collison, the surgery was of the arthroscopic variety. Still, surgery is never a positive thing for an aging player (especially a big man), and Collison’s value is incredibly high to a team like Oklahoma City.
The 2014-2015 season could be Collison’s last with the organization, as it will complete a four-year contract by paying him just over $2.2 million, but he is undeniably better than Kendrick Perkins, leaving him as the third big man behind Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams. Because this surgery was timed appropriately, Oklahoma City should have Nick Collison back on the floor well before things heat up in training camp, but if there are any lingering effects, it could be damaging to a team that will be on a well-diagnosed mission after a tough loss in this year’s playoffs.