Oklahoma City Thunder: Could Andre Roberson return for the playoffs?

Andre Roberson has been out of the Oklahoma City Thunder lineup since 2018 — so where has he been and could he have already played his last game?

It’s a question Oklahoma City Thunder fans have been asking for nearly two years — what happened to Andre Roberson?

The defensive specialist and former starter for the Thunder hasn’t played since Jan. 27, 2018.

Roberson tore his left patellar tendon that night in Detroit and hasn’t had a return date as reports of setbacks repeatedly took away any concrete plans for a comeback.

The team has since been flipped upside down, yet still has a chance to make a playoff run when the season returns in July.

Roberson’s talents could be the perfect weapon for the team’s upcoming playoff run if he’s ready for a return to the court.

Is Roberson ready to play?

Roberson could reportedly play when the season gets back underway in Orlando.

The extended time allowed for Roberson to rest beyond what he might have needed.

“There’s a real chance he could play in the eight-game schedule, as Roberson would be ready to play now if the season hadn’t stopped,” The Athletic’s Erik Horne reported (subscription required).

In April, Roberson said on the “Catching Up With The Family” podcast with Nate Tomlinson that he was “past the rehab stage” of his recovery.

“I’m almost to the point where — I should be playing, honestly,” he said.

“But I’m still taking it a day at a time until I get back into our medical staff’s hands and get reevaluated.”

Why play now?

Roberson may want to prove himself in the last year of his $30 million contract with the Thunder.

The former All-Defensive team player is known for his ability to defend some of the leagues best wing players — but can he still do it after injuries have kept him from live NBA games for so long?

Teams interested in Roberson at age 28 will want to know if he’s healthy enough to commit significant money to.

The Thunder will also want to see if it’s worth keeping him around.

He’s been a mainstay on the Oklahoma City bench since he’s been out and has experience on what were elite playoff teams in the Russell Westbrook era.

How can he help the Oklahoma City Thunder immediately?

Roberson’s last full season landed him on the 2016-17 All-Defense Second Team.

He ranked 19th in the league with a 1.4 Defensive Box Plus/Minus.

He’s averaged 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 0.9 steals in his five-year career — starting 269 of 295 games with the Thunder.

Roberson’s contributions for Oklahoma City’s upcoming playoff run would lie in how effective his defense can be — and if that defense can lead to quick offense.

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Before his injury in 2018, the Thunder’s steal percentage increased by 3.6 percent when Roberson was on the court.

Transition offense caused by a Roberson steal may not be as fast as it was with Westbrook to pass the ball to on fast breaks, but Chris Paul’s experience should still help create points.

With the likes of James Harden, Westbrook, or Donovan Mitchell waiting in the first round of the playoffs, a defensive stopper like Roberson would help take some of the pressure off of Terrance Ferguson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Steven Adams and Roberson still have experience together which is more than the rest of the team can say when it comes to playing together in the playoffs.

If anything, even if Roberson is ruled out — he can continue to help the younger players on the bench.

Ferguson, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Dennis Shroeder could all use his knowledge about guarding the Western Conference’s toughest competition.

If Loud City wants to make real noise on this playoff run — experience matters.