Thunder Week In Review: November 1st-November 9th

  When life sends you obstacles, the best thing you can do is work your hardest to get through them. That's exactly the motto the Oklahoma City Thunder have adopted this season, as the injury situation for the team has regressed from bad, to worse, to unbelievably terrible. On November 3rd, against Brooklyn, Andre Roberson suffered a sprained foot, and is day-to-day, according to the Thunder training staff, and hasn't played since then. Then, against Toronto the next day, Perry Jones, who was contributing in a major way for the Thunder, offensively, left the game with a knee injury, and hasn't returned yet, either. With a total 5 players out for the Thunder, the NBA granted a grievance for the organization to go out and get another player. Enter former Rockets backup point guard, Ish Smith. Smith has been with 7 other teams in his career, and the Thunder make it his 8th to be with. He has never averaged over 4 points a game in a season, and has averaged under 10 minutes of playing time for most of his career as well. Not exactly a superstar, but an able body that produced 7 points and 1 assist in the Thunder's 2nd win of the season, last night, against the Sacramento Kings, 101-93.

Thunder player, Perry Jones (#3) and Andre Roberson (right) are now
also on the injured players list that keeps growing for OKC this season.

  As for all the other games the Thunder played this week, the only thing to pair with the injuries in some of the games, losses came with it. OKC went 2-3 this week, but played close in a loss at home to Memphis, and could have easily gone 3-2. Fortunately, Oklahoma City has 3 winnable games in a row on their schedule, so a 4-game winning streak could be in affect when they host the Houston Rockets on November 16th. Another positive for OKC, is that Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka have come together and picked up the slack in the absence of so many of their teammates. But like all good things, this may cause Reggie Jackson to pull a James Harden, and ask the organization for a huge contract. Sorry Reggie, you're not James Harden, and never will be, but is losing Jackson going to hinder this team like the loss of Harden did back in 2012? Not even close. Jackson has been inconsistent in his career, even if he has been there for the team in some huge spots, and in order to pitch the idea that he should be given a major deal, you need to bring consistent production to the court. Furthermore, Jackson pushed and pushed to try and obtain a starting position for this season, only to be beaten out by Roberson, who is now injured (who isn't?). So Reggie, enjoy your starting role while it lasts, and if you really want that contract extension, carry this team to a winning record before KD's return in late December. It's just something to think about, as the injury-stricken Thunder continue to press onward through this grueling NBA season.