Gilgeous-Alexander behind in injury rehab
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't progressed in his recovery from plantar fasciitis as fast as the team hoped, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Friday night before a game in Detroit.
Gilgeous-Alexander recently had imaging done of his right foot, and the Thunder will re-evaluate him again in two weeks.
"He's definitely progressed, but not to the point that we would've liked," Daigneault said. "He's probably a little bit behind what we were hoping for."
Daigneault said Gilgeous-Alexander will continue to ramp up his activity.
With only four weeks left in the regular season, the timeline will be tight for Gilgeous-Alexander to return. But the Thunder isn't ready to rule him out.
"We're kind of just moving it down the road for another two weeks and we'll re-evaluate it again then," Daigneault said. "Not ruling anything out in any directions.
"He hasn't stagnated. He just hasn't improved to the level that would've made anybody feel comfortable, while we're being cautious in the schedule that we're in, to put him back out there right now."
The Thunder's star guard has been sidelined since March 22.
Plantar fasciitis, according to the Mayo Clinic, "involves inflammation of a thick band of tissues that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes."
Gilgeous-Alexander was averaging 23.7 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game before his injury. The scoring and assist numbers were career-highs for the third-year player.
Gilgeous-Alexander has shot a career-high 51% from the field and 42% from 3-point range.