NBA MVP Kevin Durant out for up to eight weeks with foot fracture

There are only a handful of players the NBA cannot afford to lose before the start of the 2014-15 regular season, and it may have just lost one of them. News emerged on Sunday that the Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the league’s reigning MVP, has a foot fracture which could sideline him for at least six to eight weeks.

The Thunder have made no timetable for return for their fallen star, saying on Sunday morning:

After practice yesterday, Kevin made us aware of discomfort in his right foot. We proceeded to perform the necessary imaging studies to determine the cause of his discomfort. At this stage, Kevin has been diagnosed with a Jones fracture. Traditional treatment of this injury requires a surgical procedure and recent NBA cases have resulted in a return to play in six to eight weeks.

We are in the process of collaboratively evaluating the most appropriate next steps with Kevin, his representatives, and Thunder medical personnel. Until a course of action is determined, we are unable to provide a timeline specific to Kevin’s case.

It’s a tough break for Oklahoma City, who will be without their franchise player, who has missed only six games over the last five years and who beat LeBron James to win his first Most Valuable Player award.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 12, 2014

With Kevin Durant out indefinitely with a right foot fracture, here's just a glimpse of what a huge impact he's had: pic.twitter.com/8JObW97qG7

Durant’s is the third major injury to have hit the NBA recently. First, the Boston Celtics announced that point guard Rajon Rondo would miss time after having surgery for a left-hand fracture; Rondo missed parts of the last two seasons with an ACL injury. Just a few days ago, the Washington Wizards, expecting to be a big factor in the Eastern Conference this season, were dealt a huge blow when they lost guard Bradley Beal for six to eight weeks with a broken wrist.

Neither of these losses, obviously, could be as potentially devastating as losing the league MVP. The good news for the Thunder is that Durant’s injury was diagnosed early: it’s far better for Durant to miss preseason games than regular-season ones. If the expected timetable holds up, Durant could only miss 15-20 games and be back by December.

Until Durant returns, all-star point guard Russell Westbrook is more than able to pick up the slack. In a way this could be the reverse of last year, when Durant elevated his game while high-volume scorer Westbrook was recovering from health issues of his own, a big reason Durant was able to compile the numbers that clinched his MVP case.

But Westbrook’s is also a case study on how unpredictable such injuries can be, and why the Thunder will not rush Durant back to the court. After rehabbing a meniscus injury suffered in the 2013 playoffs, Westbrook had a second knee surgery last October, to deal with a related injury. Westbrook then returned to action far too early, only two games into the season, something which eventually led to complications that caused his eventual extended absence. The Thunder do not want a repeat of that scenario.

After all, presuming this fracture doesn’t develop into a season-ender, the issue isn’t how much time Durant misses. Even in the crowded Western Conference, this team would probably make the playoffs even with Durant in limited duty, but how he comes back from the first major injury of his professional career. With a healthy Durant, this team always has a chance to win the NBA finals, but if Durant isn’t Durant, it’s hard to see Oklahoma City making it that far.

So it’s hard to blame the Thunder if they approach Durant’s injury cautiously and go out of their way to avoid making predictions, as general manager Sam Presti did during Sunday morning’s press conference about Durant’s injury. Instead of discussing what the team would do without Durant, Presti referenced previous injuries to Westbrook and power forward Serge Ibaka and expressed confidence in his team’s resiliency: “The organization has been in situations like this in the past, and this is when we’re at our best.”

Considering who they will be missing for an indeterminate time, they might have to be.