NBA
Thunder’s Russell Westbrook Has Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Wednesday that all-star guard, Russell Westbrook underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. Westbrook, 29, had the procedure after experiencing some stiffness in his right knee as of late. He will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Westbrook chose to have a standard scope as a preemptive procedure instead of the possibly of dealing with nagging issues during the season.
This procedure will likely force the all-star to miss the entire preseason and he could also miss action at the beginning of the regular season. The Thunder opening the season Oct. 16 against the defending champs, the Golden State Warriors.
What This Means for OKC
If cleared after four weeks, Westbrook will be available to play but the Thunder have stated there is no rush for his return. Oklahoma City would not want rush bringing him back too early and risk more damage to the injury. The west is a tough conference with a lot of depth in competition, in which OKC would need a healthy Westbrook to elevate them into being a serious contender.
Having surgery on the right knee is not new for Westbrook. During the 2013 playoffs Westbrook had a collision with Patrick Beverley which tore the meniscus in his right knee. Westbrook had to undergo not one but three different knee surgeries in a nine-month span. It’s been almost five years since Westbrook has had complications with his right knee. After three surgeries, he still managed to elevate his gameplay to become MVP of the league in 2017. He has also averaged a triple-double in consecutive seasons.
Westbrook the 3-Point Sharpshooter?
Timing is everything when dealing with injuries as severe as this. Even if Westbrook doesn’t return until after the ‘expected’ four week span, it could be beneficial for the team. Westbrook has been working hard on one aspect of his game this off-season, his three-point shooting. Westbrook made only 29.8% of his shots from 3-point range last season. He attempted just over 4 shots per game from beyond the arc, which was his lowest total in five seasons.
The Golden Warriors have changed the game in recent years. They’re a catch-and-shoot team that focuses on the 3 ball going in the hoop and it has worked thus far. It makes perfect sense that Westbrook has been working on his deep ball. If the Thunder want to keep up with elite teams such as the Warriors and Houston Rockets, becoming more efficient from the 3-point line is a must. Westbrook is a 31.3% 3-point shooter, which is no comparison to his counter-parts like Chris Paul (37.2%), James Harden (36.4%), Stephen Curry (43.6%).
Westbrook holds career averages of 23.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in 748 appearances.
Photo credit to The Wing via Flickr
