NBA News: Kevin Durant Fractures Foot, Could Miss 6-8 Weeks

From championship contenders, the Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to drop to the middle of the pack teams in the first two months of the NBA as it is expected to miss the services of defending league MVP Kevin Durant who went down with Jones fracture in his right foot diagnosed over the weekend.

The Thunder are still determining if the sweet shooting small forward will undergo surgery but that is the most likely path given the gravity of the injury. As reported by CBS Sports, Durant complained of dome level of pain in his right foot after practice and the team ordered tests to determine the level of 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 6-8 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," team officials said in a statement.

The development will put the Thunder in a precarious position as it will be scrambling to find a replacement with second-year player Perry Jones III as the most likely step-in for the injured superstar. The burden of the scoring will fall upon Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, two players who enjoy the looks created by Durant's ability to attract double teams. Reggie Jackson, the guy who was tapped to fill-in for Westbrook in the 2012 playoffs and the early part of the 2013-2014 season will be integral to keep the Thunder afloat in a very competitive Western Conference.

What is more important is that the six to eight week prognosis is still shaky. The Jones injury has varied ways of healing as attested by players who went down with similar ailments. Brooklyn Nets big man Brook Lopez suffered a similar injury and has been in and out of the lineup and missed extended time. Both Los Angeles Clippers back-up big man Glen "Big Baby" Davis and former Dallas Mavericks point guard Rodrique Beaubois both necessitated second surgery to fix the fifth metatarsal. The Thunder are holding out hope that this is not the case for the player who played up to 95% of the team's games including playoff matches since his maiden season dating back to Seattle in 2007.

The Durant injury is the latest setback to the team that challenged in the 2012 NBA Finals who saw injuries to key figures derail their championship hopes. The Thunder exited in the second round two years back after Westbrook went down with a knee injury. Last playoffs, Ibaka tried to comeback with a painful leg and lost steam against the eventual champions San Antonio Spurs. This year, the prospect of losing out the best player in the team's history is an excruciating scenario yet GM Sam Presti reminds the team that it has to "forget its personal tragedy," and move on with the troops who still remain, for now.