Three-time All Star point guard Russell Westbrook suffered from a torn meniscus on Wednesday and is currently out of the playoffs indefinitely. This injury forces Westbrook to end his perfect record of games played and miss the first game of his entire basketball career.
Without Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder has no chance at winning the final series. Westbrook’s passion and effort can’t be replaced by any OKC player, not even Durant.
“A lot of people may not like what he brings to our team. But inside, we love what he does,” Durant said. “He’s a different player, a different person, but we love what he brings. It’s unfortunate that he can’t compete at the highest level of basketball, which is the playoffs.”
Westbrook is the difference, the factor that OKC is without. The Thunder is now the 2007 version of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Durant is the star performer who is in desperate need of assistance. But regardless of their misfortune, Durant is optimistic about Westbrook’s recovery and the success of his team.
“We’re not trying to rush him or bring him back ahead of schedule. We want to make sure he’s healthy and his knee is right,” Durant said. “That’s our only concern with it right now. … We have to come together as a team and worry about the basketball. All he has to worry about is him getting healthy.”
OKC cannot beat Miami or the Spurs without Russell Westbrook. In fact, referring to the Thunder as the best team in the west is now an oxymoron.
If the Thunder makes it to the finals, they will have to play the best playoff basketball they’ve ever played—including record breaking performances—in order to compete with the Heat or the Knicks.
