Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and will miss the beginning of the team’s training camp, according to the team. The Thunder are slated to begin training camp on Sept. 27. They kick off their preseason schedule on the road Oct. 3 against the Denver Nuggets. Their regular-season opener is Oct. 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a Grade 2 left MCL sprain and will miss the start of training camp, team says.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 21, 2022
This marks another unfortunate setback for Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s endured a tumultuous 2.5 years of injuries. He’s missed a combined 63 games since the start of 2020-21. Despite those afflictions, the talented 24-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals on 58 percent true shooting the past two seasons.
Earlier this summer, the Thunder lost No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren for the season, due to a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. Hopefully, Gilgeous-Alexander makes a speedy recovery and avoids missing any regular-season outings.
Oklahoma City is set to embark on year three of its rebuild and Gilgeous-Alexander sits at the heart of its youthful core. He’ll look to find improved health this season and notch his first career All-Star appearance. Back in 2020-21, prior to his plantar fascia tear, he garnered legitimate All-Star buzz, thanks to his blend of elite self-creation and budding passing chops. The outline of an All-Star guard exist. Ideally, he can easily shrug off this minor setback and return to those ways.