Injury Update: Paul George out against Milwaukee with sore knee
By Tony Heim
The OKC Thunder will be without Paul George as they attempt to extend their win streak to seven games.
News broke Friday afternoon that Paul George will not suit up tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks. George is nursing a sore left knee, an ailment that simply does not need to be pushed for the sake of a regular season game in December.
George’s absence will be greatly missed though. Giannis Antetokounmpo enters Oklahoma City as one of the most dangerous perimeter weapons in the entire NBA. The Thunder are looking to continue climbing up the Western Conference standings – without George as a second defender their chances of winning do diminish.
The biggest question now is who will take PG’s spot in the starting lineup. Alex Abrines started for George during his two-game absence in November, but his recent struggles/lack of playing time makes Billy Donovan’s decision more difficult.
He could roll with Josh Huestis, the first man off the Thunder bench the last few games. Jerami Grant is always an option if Donovan wanted a bigger body to help with Giannis. Even Patrick Patterson could get the call if OKC opted to play Carmelo Anthony at small forward. Ultimately I think Billy Donovan rides with Abrines.
The Spaniard Sniper has recently struggled on both ends of the floor – starting him is a quick way to help boost his confidence. Tony Snell doesn’t frighten opponents too much on defense and Russell Westbrook could surely use the additional spacing. But if Abrines has fallen out of favor, then I lean towards Huestis.
Next: Previewing tonight's matchup with Milwaukee
Starting Huestis gives the Thunder (and other teams) an opportunity to see how much he’s progressed. We’ve never seen the 26-year old play in a larger role, hence why I could see OKC giving him a shot.
Either way the choice probably won’t affect the outcome of the game – it’s going to come down to Westbrook vs. Antetokounmpo. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 (CT) at Chesapeake Energy Arena. We probably won’t know the starter until 15 minutes prior to the tip.