Russell Westbrook Underwent Yet Another Knee Procedure

OKC Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced on Wednesday that point-guard Russell Westbrook underwent yet another knee surgery. As such, he will miss the majority of preseason and training. Dr. Neal Elattrache of the Los Angeles Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Westbrook has a history of dealing with knee injuries. He tore his meniscus in the 2013 playoff series, and he has not recovered very well. Doctors have performed four more procedures on his knee since his initial injury. Some consider “arthroscopic” procedures to be less invasive than a full ligament replacement or repair. However, this belief increases the pressure on Westbrook’s body to heal.

In addition to his knee issues, Westbrook had surgery on his right hand in 2014. In 2015, he had surgery on his right cheekbone. This procedure is yet another opportunity for him to get completely healthy, but the franchise has to be safe about pushing the player back into competition mode. It would mean a lot to OKC if he were to be healthy for the majority of the season, as he has dealt with so many injuries in the past. The Thunder’s press release stated that they will evaluate his progress and healing four weeks from now.

Westbrook made history last season by being the first NBA player to average a triple-double in consecutive seasons. He averaged 25.4 points, 10.3 assists, and 10.1 rebounds.

The OKC Thunder will start the season with an exciting game against defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, on October 16th in Oakland. The West conference will be quite competitive once again, so the Thunder will need to step up without their star player. The starting point-guard position will go to Dennis Schroder, who is new to OKC.

 

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons

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