Alex Caruso's Ankle Injury Adds to Oklahoma City's Sudden Roster Nightmare
Status alert: Alex Caruso (ankle) won't return Monday. - @UnderdogNBA
Alex Caruso leaving a game early with an injury is the kind of news that makes you check your watch just to confirm it is, in fact, a day ending in "y."
Underdog NBA reported Monday night that the Oklahoma City Thunder guard suffered an ankle injury and would not return to the floor.
If you are keeping score at home, this is the ninth separate ankle issue of Caruso's career. He has logged 48 different injuries and missed nearly 300 days of action since entering the league. At this point, his medical chart reads less like a basketball player's file and more like a stunt double's career retrospective.
The timing for Oklahoma City is objectively brutal. The Thunder are off to a flawless 3-0 start this season, but the vibes are suddenly in the mud. Just hours before Caruso limped off, news broke that Jalen Williams needs surgery for a broken leg and dislocated ankle.
Losing Williams was already a massive blow to the Thunder's futures markets. Now, taking Caruso's 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and elite perimeter defense out of the rotation leaves a gaping hole in the backcourt. Live bettors who backed Oklahoma City's depth are suddenly sweating out a rotation that is getting dangerously thin.
The Thunder have to figure out how to patch this sinking ship before their undefeated record takes on water. We will wait for the MRI results on Caruso, but Oklahoma City desperately needs someone on the bench to step up and stop the bleeding.