The Oklahoma City Thunder are expecting to be contenders this season in the Western conference, but things could be tough at the start for the team, as point guard Russell Westbrook will be out of the lineup for at least a month.
According to ESPN.com, Westbrook will be out for at least four to six weeks with a knee issue after having surgery, which was needed after he found swelling in his knee that he injured back in the playoffs against the Houston Rockets last season. The knee was repaired last May, but now Westbrook will be out again just as the season is about to begin and now he could be out for the first chunk of the season.
The team said that this was the best course of action after getting injured last season and now he has the chance to get back to 100 percent before getting back on the court. Last season he averaged over 23 points and led the team in assists with over seven per game and now he will be missing, which could be a crucial blow for the Thunder.
Westbrook was injured in Game 2 of the Houston Rockets series in the first round of the playoffs and now Kevin Durant will have to shoulder the load to start things off. The team lost Kevin Martin in free agency and after the team went 60-22 last season, they will have to get off to a strong start with a tough Western conference in 2013-14 with the Clippers, Spurs, Grizzlies and Rockets.
Speaking of the Rockets, the James Harden trade has continued to haunt the Thunder, as the team needed him last season when Westbrook was injured and now it's more of the same. The team has Jeremy Lamb from that deal, but now that Martin is gone and Westbrook is out, that trade continues to be a huge void for the team as they were more worried about money than winning.
