OKC Thunder finally offer Andre Roberson update – sort of

Since training camp, OKC Thunder updates on Andre Roberson haven’t been very forthcoming. Monday the team finally broke their silence but the news remains vague leaving us to question what’s really going on.

The OKC Thunder have finally broken their silence on the Andre Roberson rehab. In a report on OKC Thunder.com, Nick Gallo reported that Roberson is taking his rehab and doing it away from the team.

This is the first time in a while that the Thunder has addressed the issue, but by the same token, they aren’t truly addressing it.  Coach Billy Donovan stated that Roberson has gotten to a certain level but can’t get any further.

Donovan also stated that Roberson does not feel that he can go out and compete the way that he wants to at this level. This is where my mind started asking questions.

This reminds me a little of how the team handled the Alex Abrines issue, they did not comment on what the specific issue was to protect the player. Roberson, while he is a public person, has a right to privacy as well.

The fact that he is taking his rehab away from the team suggests that he is struggling mentally with his inability to get back on the court. Whether that is mental or physical, I cannot say.

However, having suffered severe leg injuries myself, it is easy to assume that Roberson may not have the confidence in his knee. If he is thinking about his knee when he is on the court, then he is not totally switched on.

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Basketball is a physical game but you have to have the belief that you are better than the player you are guarding. If you do not have this belief, then he has already beaten you. Roberson may have lost this edge.

However,  the question I would like to ask the OKC Thunder is why they have waited until this point of the season, where we are almost a quarter of the way through, to announce this. They have allowed speculation to run rife throughout the media and fans alike.

Roberson said at the start of training camp that he was good to go. He appeared ready but did not play the scrimmage. As he has not played all season, questions have been asked. If the club wanted to protect him from this, perhaps they could have taken a step like this sooner.

And, if he’s working away from the team does this suggest he’s lost confidence in the franchise itself?

I just hope for the sake of Andre Roberson that this move helps get him right. If not, I hope that the OKC Thunder gives us all something definitive so that the speculation stops about him.