Thunder dealt another blow with injury to Serge Ibaka

The Oklahoma City Thunder have dealt with an inordinate amount of injuries this season. Kevin Durant had to undergo surgery on his foot before the season, and Durant is still dealing with foot problems. The reigning MVP has been on the shelf for three weeks since undergoing another procedure on his foot, and he has only played in 27 games this season.

Russell Westbrook got hurt in the second game of the year and missed about a month. Luckily for the Thunder, Westbrook has stayed healthy since, and he has been putting up historic numbers. Oklahoma City has needed it as they battle for a playoff spot, and the point guard will have to keep up his excellent play now that Serge Ibaka is going to miss time.

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Yes, that’s right, Ibaka is now headed for an extended period on the shelf due to lingering knee soreness. ESPN’s Royce Young reported Monday that Ibaka needs surgery on his knee, although the hope is that the big man will be back in time for the postseason, if the Thunder get there. The 25-year-old has missed the last two games with knee soreness.

This is another tough blow for the Thunder, as Ibaka is the anchor of their defense and one of the premier rim protectors in the NBA. Ibaka’s offense hasn’t been quite as good as hoped, but he has added a reliable three-point shot to his arsenal. He’s making 37.6 percent of his threes on 3.2 attempts per game this season.

Ibaka’s ability to shoot makes him a good pick-and-pop partner with Westbrook, and Oklahoma City will have to find a way to replace that on offense. Getting Durant back will certainly help, which should happen soon.

Also, the Thunder are better equipped to deal with a Ibaka injury now that Steven Adams is healthy and Enes Kanter is on the roster. Adams is a tough, physical player who can provide some rim protection, while Kanter is a talented offensive player who can pick up the scoring slack. Kanter is putting up 20.0 points per game over the last four games.

Mitch McGary has also shown some promise when he has gotten minutes. McGary is averaging 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game on the year.

Of course, the Thunder need to have a full complement of players if they want to win a championship. Injuries have derailed their title dreams the past few years, and it could potentially happen again. Getting to the postseason is no guarantee at all, as Oklahoma City is a game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot. Even if the Thunder do get in as the No. 8 seed, they have little chance of beating the Golden State Warriors in the first round if short-handed.

Oklahoma City still has 8/1 odds to win the title, tied for the fourth-best in the NBA, per Bovada. We’ll see if that changes at all with Ibaka out.