Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss multiple weeks after suffering a right ankle sprain on Friday against the Pacers, the team announced today. Gilgeous-Alexander will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, which lasts from February 18-23.
In 43 games this season, he’s averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest, shooting 42% from the floor and 28% from three-point range. Each of those averages (with the exception of rebounding) are down from last season, but the 23-year-old remains the number one option on his team.
The Thunder are 0-5 in games that Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t play this season. One of those losses came against Memphis in a record-setting fashion, where the team lost by 73 points — the largest margin of defeat in NBA history. That contest was played in early December on the road.
Without Gilgeous-Alexander, expect guards Ty Jerome and Theo Maledon to receive more playing time. Oklahoma City owns the second-worst record in the West at 14-34, leading the Rockets by half a game.