Oklahoma City Thunder's Problems Getting Much Worse Before Getting Better

Possession by possession and game by game, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been dismantled by injuries. 

Before the season even started, it was announced that Kevin Durant would be sidelined six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a broken right foot. 

Then, less than six quarters into the regular season, Russell Westbrook suffered a broken right hand against the Los Angeles Clippers that required surgery. 

Parlay those injuries with the absences of Anthony Morrow (sprained left knee), rookie Mitch McGary (fractured left foot), Andre Roberson (left foot sprain) and Jeremy Lamb (strained lower back), and few teams have ever been decimated by injuries this significantly and this fast. 

Unfortunately, Oklahoma City won't be waking up from this nightmare anytime soon.

When Thunder swingman Perry Jones III banged knees with Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson Tuesday night and collapsed to the hardwood at Air Canada Centre, the Thunder's immediate prospects entered an even gloomier realm. 

According to The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry, Jones suffered a right knee contusion and was ruled out for the remainder of Tuesday's contest: 

While the severity of the injury is still unknown, it's worth noting Jones injured the same knee that underwent arthroscopic surgery this summer. Furthermore, it's the same knee that was red-flagged before the 2012 NBA draft, which precipitated Jones' slide to the Thunder at No. 28 overall. 

And as if that wasn't bad enough, Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson appeared to tweak his right wrist, according to Mayberry: 

To answer your question, yes, that's the same wrist that prohibited Jackson from making his season debut until Monday night against the Brooklyn Nets. 

While he did wind up returning to the game and posting a double-double consisting of 13 points (4-of-14 shooting) and a career-high 14 assists in the 100-88 loss, Jackson appeared to be battling a lower-body injury as well: 

CBS Sports' James Herbert reports Jackson sustained a thigh injury, according to head coach Scott Brooks: 

"It feels like a nightmare that I can't wake up from," Jackson told reporters, according to Mayberry. 

According to ESPN.com's Royce Young, the list of Thunder players who haven't been injured this season is now frighteningly small: 

And it may get smaller now that Serge Ibaka is playing through some ankle pain, according to Herbert: 

So where do the Thunder go from here? 

If Jones does miss any sort of extended time, Oklahoma City's roster will possess exactly zero healthy wing scorers who can size up defenders and attack defenses as a spot-up shooter or versatile off-the-dribble producer. 

For a team that entered Tuesday night ranked 23rd in field-goal percentage and 24th in three-point field-goal percentage, Jones' injury simply could not have come at a worse time. 

But even if Jones does return to action in a timely fashion, general manager Sam Presti must face the grim reality that his team is going to struggle to keep pace with opponents until Westbrook and Durant return, just as it had prior to Tuesday's loss. 

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As things stand, the Thunder have scored 90 points or fewer four times in the span of five games. Last season, Oklahoma City met that futile benchmark just nine times total, according to Basketball-Reference.com. 

In a Western Conference loaded with offensive powerhouses and hungry young clubs desperate to crash the postseason party, the Thunder simply can't afford to fall behind in the standings. 

As Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding noted after Westbrook got hurt, the Thunder previously had to worry about securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs: 

"

The Thunder were stung in the 2014 Western Conference Finals by not having home-court advantage, losing every game they played in San Antonio in an eventual 4-2 defeat. Playoff seeding and home court for the Thunder could be just as big this season with it being unclear whether the aging Spurs can maintain their level again or the Warriors and Clippers are ready to make a leap.

"

Now, the focus shifts to a much more bleak query. 

As Oklahoma City attempts to squeeze productivity out of every nook and cranny of its depleted roster, will this team, as currently constructed, be able to make up enough ground to qualify for the postseason when Durant and Westbrook return? 

The Memphis Grizzlies provided a blueprint for bouncing back from severe injuries last season, posting a record of 33-13 while capturing the West's No. 7 seed after Marc Gasol (sprained MCL) returned to action, so the Thunder's task certainly isn't impossible. 

However, it may very well be improbable, despite Brooks' optimism. 

"I'm really encouraged by our guys, they're scrappy," Brooks said following Tuesday's loss, according to the Thunder's official Twitter account. "I love how they compete." 

That said, competing may not be enough. This team needs wins, and lots of them. 

So while it's far too early to write an obituary for the 2014-15 Thunder, each loss sans Durant and Westbrook represents a step back in a conference that isn't kind to nominal regression, much less dramatic failure. 

Things won't get much easier over the next few days, either, as the Thunder return home to host the Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings in hopes of snapping a two-game losing streak.