Oklahoma City Thunder big man Steven Adams will miss at least three weeks after undergoing surgery to fix a fractured fourth metacarpal in his right hand.
Steven Adams is one of the most talented young centers in the NBA and he has been developing each and every week with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Unfortunately, in yesterday afternoon’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers he ended up fracturing the fourth metacarpal in his right hand.
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According to a report from InsideHoops.com, the injury will force Adams to miss at least three weeks after he underwent surgery today.
It’s certainly a disappointment, but three weeks will have him back in plenty of time to help the Thunder make a stretch run at the playoffs. Oklahoma City is currently sitting at 26-25 on the season and are two games out of the eighth playoff seed behind the Phoenix Suns. The road isn’t going to be easy for them to get into the postseason, but they still have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way.
Adams has been having a big season for the Thunder and is going to be missed during the next three weeks. He has averaged 7.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game so far this year. Simply having a 7’0″ center in the middle of the defense has been big for the Thunder.
Mitch McGary hasn’t seen a lot of playing time so far this season in his rookie year, but he is likely to see a major role increase. Kendrick Perkins will also see more playing time, but the big question mark is surrounding the 22-year-old rookie out of Michigan. So far this season, McGary has played in three games and is averaging 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
There is no question that the Thunder can manage without Adams, but they are going to have to change their game plans a little bit. Perkins has been a starting center throughout a good portion his career, but he is nothing close to being a difference maker like Adams.
All of that being said, the Thunder need to put together some wins over the next three weeks even with Adams sitting out. They still have their two stars, and they have a very solid supporting cast around them. There is absolutely nothing holding Oklahoma City down at this point in the season from making a run.
Expect to see Durant and Westbrook turn things on over the next few weeks, and for the Thunder to be in a playoff spot when Adams returns to the court.
H/T Inside Hoops
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