Report: Andre Roberson Suffers Setback, Will be Reevaluated in Six Weeks
Per a report from ESPN’s Royce Young, Andre Roberson has suffered a setback in the rehabilitation of his surgically-repaired left knee. Roberson reportedly experienced discomfort after an awkward land during workouts on Thursday, and an MRI has revealed a small avulsion fracture — tacking on another six weeks before he will be reevaluated.
Per a Thunder spokesperson, Andre Roberson suffered another setback yesterday after landing from a jump during a workout and experiencing some discomfort. He had an MRI that revealed a small avulsion fracture in his knee and he’ll be re-evaluated in another six weeks.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 30, 2018
According to the Mayo Clinic, an avulsion fracture is “a small portion of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone.” While yet another setback in Roberson’s attempt to return is crushing for the Thunder, Young added, “it doesn’t entirely reset the timetable for him to come back. In six weeks the Thunder will have a clear picture of his expected return to play.” As it stands, it doesn’t appear as though he’ll require another surgery during that period.
Looking ahead six weeks, Roberson is set to be reevaluated on January 11 — a date in which the Thunder will be exactly halfway through the 2018-19 season. Although that leaves time for the All-NBA defender to make his return prior to the postseason, this latest bit of bad news casts serious doubt about Roberson’s ability to return at all this season. If he comes back and assumes his role in the Thunder rotation, that’s great. However, the team should likely prepare as if that won’t happen — as they will need to continue molding the shooting guard rotation around Terrance Ferguson and other young pieces for the foreseeable future.
As with all things Thunder when it comes to injuries, details will presumably be scarce over the next six weeks. Even with the Thunder playing well after an 0-4 start, the fate of Roberson likely still holds the key to the 2018-19 campaign.
