Nenad Krstic to Lose Starting Role?

The poor bastard goes in for surgery, and his gig could get taken away from him when he returns to action. The Oklahoman explains: “Thunder center Nenad Krstic underwent surgery Tuesday morning in Oklahoma City to repair a fractured right index finger. Krstic will miss a portion of training camp, which begins Tuesday, but is expected to be ready for the team’s season opener Oct. 27 against Chicago. But with the injury comes the first meaningful question going into the 2010-11 season. What does this mean for the center position going forward? Already in for one of the fiercest fights to keep his starting job as camp opens next week, Krstic’s setback might have now swung open the door as wide as ever for one of his younger teammates to waltz into camp and supplant him in the starting unit. While Krstic is on the sideline, could we see the promotion of promising second-year big men Serge Ibaka or Byron Mullens, or perhaps rookie Cole Aldrich? It’s a fair question, one that likely will require a fair amount of deliberation from Coach Scott Brooks as camp labors on.”