The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped their third straight game Tuesday night, falling to 3-9 on the season. The Thunder are perennial title contenders thanks to reigning MVP Kevin Durant and All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, but both are currently out with injuries and the team hasn't been able to cope.
Good news may be on the way though, according to The Oklahoman. Both Westbrook and Durant did a light workout recently, running pick-and-pop sets with assistant coaches. Durant has been able to hoist jump shots while recovering from a broken bone in his foot, while Westbrook managed to shoot right-handed as his broken thumb heals.
While the prospect of Durant shooting from various spots on the floor is exciting for Thunder fans, their optimism should be tempered. There is no return date set, and Durant is simply set to be evaluated on Thanksgiving. Westbrook is expected to be evaluated two days later.
Without their two stars OKC has scored 88.8 points per game, good for 29th out of the NBA's 30 teams. They have missed Durant's length and Westbrook's tenacity defensively as well, allowing opponents to average 94.3 points which is the fifth-most in the league.
Point guard Reggie Jackson has poured in 20 points a night as the primary option and managed 7.6 assists as well, but his efficiency has gone down with the increase in minutes and shot attempts. His field goal percentage has dipped two points from the 2013-14 campaign, while he's hit just 28.6 percent of his 3-pointers; last season Jackson shot 34 percent from beyond the arc.
Power forward Serge Ibaka has been unable to drastically improve his scoring either-he has averaged 15 points and 7.3 rebounds, but aside from Jackson and Ibaka no other player on the roster is close to scoring even 15 points a game.
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