By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The latest injury setback leads Aleksej Pokusevski to the sidelines for at least six weeks.
Pokusevski, 21, sprained his right ankle during a workout Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder relayed Wednesday.
The Serbian forward will be reevaluated after sitting out the entire 2023 NBA Preseason and the first week of the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season.
A recent hand injury prevented Pokusevski from representing Serbia in the 2023 FIBA World Cup during the offseason. Despite his absence, the team guided by Svetislav Pesic captured the silver medals with six wins in eight games.
His third campaign in the NBA was limited to 34 appearances in the 2022-23 Regular Season due to injuries. He tallied 8.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 0.6 steals per game, starting on 25 occasions. A total of 140 games played over three seasons further reflects on struggling to stay healthy.
Pokusevski was selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, coming out of Olympiacos and carrying the experience of competing at the senior level, including three brief appearances in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Shortly following recruitment, he was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Thunder.
Heading to a contract season and potentially becoming a restricted free agent next summer, Poku finds himself in a demanding situation. Getting minutes, after missing the training camp and the early chunk of official games can be tricky, especially in a young squad such as the Thunder.
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