OKC Thunder News: Andre Roberson's season appears to be over ahead of the playoffs
On January 27, 2018, Andre Roberson suffered a serious injury during the OKC Thunder's 121-108 victory over the Detroit Pistons. The Thunder guard hit the floor hard after attempting to collect a lobbed pass from a teammate, and immediately looked to be in serious discomfort.
Roberson managed to eventually drag himself off the court. However, the 27-year-old was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.
Roberson was expected to be back on the court for the Thunder by October, but with his return date nearing, the team ruled their star defensive stopper out for a further two months. Fast forward to March, and Roberson still remains away from the first team.
The Thunder have not been particularly forthcoming with updates on Roberson's condition. A report from NewsOK last month revealed that Roberson had progressed to shooting the ball:
Andre Roberson sifted along the 3-point line, launching shots after shootaround Tuesday. He wore a black sleeve over his left leg, compressing the knee that he’d had multiple operations on since rupturing his patellar tendon 13 months ago.
However, this latest update came more than four weeks ago. And due to the absence of an official Thunder press release, it seems as though Roberson has suffered another setback.
This is problematic in itself. And when you consider the time that it will take the 27-year-old to return to full fitness, a return this season seems incredibly unlikely.
The playoffs begin on April 13th, leaving Roberson with a window of fewer than three weeks.
Due to their recent slump, the Thunder also look increasingly likely to face the Golden State Warriors in the first round. And very few will back Billy Donovan's men to defeat the two-time reigning champions.
This means that Roberson is unlikely to have the luxury of returning deep into the playoffs. It looks as though the guard is will ultimately miss the entire 2018-19 season.