The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the midst of a seven-game home stand that will feature eight home games to end December after a quick trip out to Charolette before their New Year’s Eve affair with the 76ers at the Paycom Center. The only thing putting a damper on the Thunder returning home is the injury bug striking, and now even hitting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The OKC Thunder saw Kenrich Williams suffer a knee sprain to open up the previous road trip in Minnesota before Jeremiah Robinson-Earl went down with an ankle sprain in Dallas to close the road swing in Dallas. Kenrich Williams has been upgraded to questionable before tonight’s game against Memphis as he looks to play for the first time since that Minnesota game.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is still on the shelf and is being tabbed as week-to-week by head coach Mark Daigneault. The Oklahoma City Thunder also lost their 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Ousmane Dieng, for six weeks due to a wrist injury that he suffered in a G-League game. The same wrist he hurt at NBA Summer League back in July, but what is being described as a non-related injury.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey are being listed as questionable for the Oklahoma City Thunder matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies as the injury bug hits the Oklahoma City Thunder hard
The Oklahoma City Thunder get set for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies for game three of this seven-game home stand. In doing so, they will be extremely shorthanded.
Of course, Chet Holmgren is done for the season, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Darius Bazley (illness), and Ousmane Dieng have all already been ruled out for this contest.
Josh Giddey (illness), Kenrich Williams (knee), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (back contusion) are listed as questionable.
Mark Daigneault will have to shuffle the rotation to navigate this tough Memphis squad if he is without his top two guards along with key rotational pieces.
The Grizzlies will continue to miss Desmond Bane and Danny Green.