Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Unlikely to see playing time
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Pokusevski is available for Friday's game versus the Lakers but likely won't play, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports.
Pokusevski hasn't played since Dec. 27, so the Thunder are likely trying to slowly incorporate him back into the lineup. However, the 20-year-old forward should be featured in the rotation soon.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Officially available Friday
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Pokusevski (lower leg) isn't on the injury report for Friday's game against the Lakers.
Pokusevski was recalled from the G League's Oklahoma City Blue earlier Friday and will officially be able to suit up for the parent club's matchup against the Lakers. He hasn't taken the court for the Thunder since Dec. 27, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him face a minutes restriction Friday.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Recalled by parent club
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Pokusevski was recalled from the G League's Oklahoma City Blue on Friday, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.
Pokusevski had been sidelined since late December with a non-displaced left tibial fracture, but he was assigned to the G League on March 6 and appeared in Wednesday's loss to Ontario. It's certainly possible he'll be able to suit up for the Thunder's game against the Lakers on Friday, but assuming he's available, it wouldn't be surprising to see his playing time monitored.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Makes G League appearance
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Pokusevski (lower leg) played 15 minutes Wednesday for the G League's Oklahoma City Blue in a 114-105 loss to the Ontario Clippers, scoring zero points (0-7 FG, 0-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, six assists and two blocks.
Though efficiency has never been Pokusevski's forte since he entered the league in 2020, the 0-for-7 performance from the field still showed that he needs time to shake off rust after having missed the past two and a half months while recovering from a non-displaced left tibial plateau fracture. Pokusevski still managed to fill up the stat sheet in other areas, but the Thunder will most likely have him stick around in the G League for at least one more game to pick up more minutes. The 21-year-old could have a place in the NBA club's frontcourt rotation once he gets fully ramped up, but he's unlikely to handle a consistent enough role to warrant much attention outside of the deepest of fantasy leagues.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Moves rehab to G League
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The Thunder assigned Pokusevski (lower leg) to the G League's Oklahoma City Blue on Monday, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports.
Pokusevski, who has been sidelined since late December with a non-displaced left tibial fracture, is scheduled to practice with the Blue, but he remains without a clear timeline to return to game action. Expect the third-year big man to remain sidelined for the entirety of the Thunder's four-game slate during the upcoming wek.
Pokusevski (lower leg) is out for Wednesday's game versus the Lakers.
Pokusevski will miss his 28th straight game Wednesday due to a non-displaced fracture in his left tibial plateau. On Sunday, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman that the 20-year-old big man remains on a return-to-play plan but has "no date to return." Given that no reports have surfaced indicating that Pokusevski has resumed full-court, full-contact practice, he appears safe to rule out through the Thunder's remaining two games this week, back-to-back matchups with the Jazz on Friday and Sunday.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Resumes on-court work
Rotowire
Pokusevski (lower leg) was spotted on the court Monday doing some light shooting, Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic reports.
The Thunder haven't provided a clear update regarding where exactly Pokusevski stands in his recovery from the non-displaced left tibial plateau fracture he suffered Dec. 27, but the fact that he didn't appear to be sporting any sort of cast or brace on his lower leg Monday suggests that he's made good progress in his recovery from the injury. Until the 21-year-old is able to resume practicing in some capacity, however, he'll remain without a clear timeline to return to game action. Expect Pokusevski's absence to extend into March, barring him taking any dramatic steps forward in his recovery program coming out of the All-Star break.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Will miss at least six weeks
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Pokusevski sustained a non-displaced tibial plateau fracture in his left leg Tuesday's game against the Thunder and will be re-evaluated in six to eight weeks, Nick Crain of Forbes.com reports.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Pokusevski's injury isn't "long-long term," so he will likely return before the end of the season. Darius Bazley, Mike Muscala and Jaylin Williams are candidates to see extended minutes in his absence.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Will be out for 'some time'
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Pokusevski (leg) will be out for "some time," with the Thunder gathering more information before providing an official update, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.
Pokusevski's leg twisted awkwardly during Tuesday's game against the Spurs, forcing the forward to leave the game. While coach Mark Daigneault said the injury is not "long long-term," it wouldn't be surprising if Pokusevski missed several weeks based on the coach's other wording. For the duration of his absence, more minutes could be available for Darius Bazley, Mike Muscala and other frontcourt players.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Out for remainder of game
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Pokusevski won't return to Tuesday's game against the Spurs with a left leg injury, Rylan Stiles of BricktownBuckets.com reports.
Pokusevski left Tuesday's game after playing just two minutes. Mike Muscala has received extended minutes with him out. Fantasy managers will have to wait for an update to determine Pokusevski's status for Thursday's matchup with Charlotte.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Stuffs stat sheet Friday
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Pokusevski accumulated 17 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt), six rebounds, three assists, one block and four steals across 32 minutes during Friday's 128-125 overtime loss to New Orleans.
Pokusevski has carved a regular starting role with the Thunder and has logged at least 20 minutes consistently, but the production hasn't always matched the on-court time. This was the first time he scored more than 15 points since Dec. 10, and even though he can produce on any given game, he's not doing enough to remain valuable in most fantasy formats.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Returns to Saturday's contest
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Pokusevski (eye) finished Saturday's 115-109 win over the Grizzlies with nine points (3-10 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), six rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes.
Oklahoma City was without six players for Saturday's game -- including backcourt stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (back) and Josh Giddey (illness) -- but Pokusevski came through with a somewhat tepid line when considering how much usage was up for grabs. Pokusevski wasn't helped by requiring a trip to the locker room to be evaluated for an eye injury, though he was able to return. Pokusevski's minutes varied wildly from game to game, and even with the Thunder at below full strength in the frontcourt with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (ankle) sidelined for the foreseeable future, it's tough to depend on Pokusevski producing with any consistency.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Headed to locker room
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Pokusevski was taken to the locker room after getting hit in the eye Saturday versus the Grizzlies, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports.
Pokusevski was bleeding from his left eye as he was led to the locker room by the Thunder training staff. It is unclear whether or not he will be able to return, but if he were to sit, Jaylin Williams, Mike Muscala and Kenrich Williams would be candidates for extended run for the rest of the contest.
Pokusevski racked up nine points (3-8 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal across 24 minutes during Friday's 112-110 loss to the Timberwolves.
Pokusevski was moderately better in the loss, chipping in across the board as he moved back into the starting lineup. While this was encouraging, recent history tells us we should not be fooled. His playing time and subsequent production have been wildly inconsistent all season. There is definitely some upside attached to Pokusevski, but until he carves out a consistent role, he will likely provide more frustration than elation moving forward.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Back in starting lineup
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Pokusevski will start Friday's game against Minnesota, Rylan Stiles of BricktownBuckets.com reports.
Pokusevski will return to the starting lineup Friday after coming off the bench during Wednesday's two-point loss to Miami. The talented big man has started 19 of his 25 appearances this season, posting 9.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 blocks in 23.5 minutes during those contests.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Not starting Wednesday
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Pokusevski isn't in the starting five Wednesday against Miami, Rylan Stiles of BricktownBuckets.com reports.
The forward will come off the bench for the first time since Dec. 5. Across five previous appearances off the bench, Pokusevski has averaged 8.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Fails to score despite start
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Pokusevski racked up zero points (0-3 FG, 0-2 3Pt), nine rebounds and two assists over 22 minutes during Monday's 121-114 loss to Dallas.
Pokusevski missed all three of his shot attempts, logging just 22 minutes despite starting. He simply can't find any rhythm at the moment, alternating good and bad games on seemingly a nightly basis. The upside is there for him to be a must-roster play, although, at this point, his role is simply too inconsistent to afford him that title. For now, he can be streamed in on low-volume nights, in the hope that he strings together a few strong performances.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Double-doubles in loss
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Pokusevski contributed 16 points (6-14 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks over 34 minutes during Saturday's 110-102 loss to the Cavaliers.
Pkousevski finally got things trending in the right direction Saturday, putting up his first double-double in almost a month. It's been a rough couple of weeks for Pokusevski, with his playing time fluctuating on a nightly basis. Pokusevski's ever-changing role makes him tough to rely on to consistently produce useful stat lines, though performances like Saturday's offer a glimpse of what he's capable of when the minutes break right.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Returns to starting five
Rotowire
Pokusevski is in the starting five Wednesday against Memphis, Steve McGehee of News 9 Oklahoma City reports.
Pokusevski returns to the starting five after coming in off the bench during the team's last game Monday against the Hawks. Pokusevski has averaged 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 16 previous starts.
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Thunder's Aleksej Pokusevski: Heading to bench Monday
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Pokusevski will come off the bench for Monday's contest against Atlanta, Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
After starting each of his last 13 appearances, Pokusevski will come off the bench for the fifth time this season. Jalen Williams will be taking Pokusevski's spot in the starting lineup Monday. Across four games as a reserve this year, Pokusevski is averaging 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 31.8 minutes per game.
