Hardwood Paroxysm: NBA Preseason Roundtable Over Everything

Kevin Durant is likely going to miss the next 6-8 weeks with a broken bone in his foot. Assuming he makes a full recovery, is there any chance this turns out to be a good thing for Thunder? How about just for Mitch McGary?

Wray: It may not be a good thing in terms of the team’s winning percentage this season, but I think it will be a very good thing in terms of the long-term health of the franchise. Considering that Steven Adams got fewer overall minutes than Derek Fisher last year, and that Perry Jones III and Andre Roberson combined had fewer minutes than Fisher, the coming weeks will go a long way in helping Sam Presti evaluate exactly who he has in his young draft picks — and who he has coaching those picks.

Leroux: What if Mitch wanted to be the most famous member of the Thunder with a foot fracture right now? There certainly is a chance Durant’s injury could end up being a good thing long-term for OKC if getting a fuller opportunity can make any one of their non-starters a more confident, capable player. If one or more of the Lamb, Morrow, Jones III and Roberson horde can become a credible first perimeter player off the bench it would be huge for OKC’s playoff chances even though a worse seed would hurt in the stacked Western Conference playoff picture.

Clinchy: Meh. If you ask me, it’s more likely to be an irrelevant thing. The Thunder will tread water for a couple months, Durant will return in December, and the team will be its awesome self again. Long-term, I don’t expect this to make much of a difference. McGary’s a nice little prospect, but I doubt he’ll get enough time to distinguish himself more than guys like Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III already have.

McElroy: Depends on how important you think homecourt is for them in the playoffs. Barring a much longer Durant absence, they’ll still make it into the postseason and probably win their division. But it’s likely the difference between 2 or 3 Western Conference home series and 1 or 2. I think it will certainly be an odd couple of months for Mitch McGary but would be surprised if it ends up being an important chapter in the story of his NBA career.

Dowsett: For me, the answer here depends not on Russell Westbrook as most seem to think, but on Serge Ibaka and, to a lesser degree, guys like Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams. Ibaka has had opportunities as the second cog in the machine in previous years, and while he certainly hasn’t been terrible, he also hasn’t been able to expand his offensive game beyond the semi-complementary role he typically takes. He’s always been a dominant defensive force, but is this the chance for him to finally prove himself as a more complete two-way star in his team’s time of need?

Partnow: Possibly. If some of the younger players are capable of filling the void. I have my doubts given how offensively limited the rest of the roster outside of Westbrook and Jackson are offensively. Maybe it convinces Sam Presti of the need to upgrade the supporting talent, luxury tax be damned, or maybe (much to the delight of critics everywhere), the lack of Durant as a crutch finally convinces management Scott Brooks isn’t the guy to lead this team.

McPherson: It’s certainly not impossible that it opens things up for bench guys like Roberson, Lamb and Jones 3: Revenge of Perry, but I’m not sure the Thunder are at a place where that’s what they need. The Thunder have kind of been hovering near the top of their game for a couple season and I don’t think anyone feels that what’s been holding them back has been Durant. That said, I think they will fundamentally be fine and will still be a top seed come playoff time. If part of the benefit of this is that Durant has a couple fewer miles on the tires at that point, it could end up helping them.

Fenrich: In the sense of seeking out silver linings, sure it could be a good thing. This team hasn’t collectively evolved over the past couple years so if Durant sitting on the sideline for a month or more gives opportunity and confidence to other players while forcing Coach Scott Brooks to bust out of his safe little bubble, then that’s a good thing. As for McGary, he’s hurt too, right? Maybe there’s a place where he and Durant form a bond and become rehab buddies, binge watching TV shows, sharing inside jokes, and developing a lifelong friendship. And at the end of the day, there’s not much more rewarding than a good friend.