The Oklahoma City Thunder received some bad news today when they learned point guard Russell Westbrook, injured in the first round of last year's Western Conference playoffs, will need arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, knocking him out for the first four to six weeks of the regular season.
Thunder say Russell Westbrook underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery & is out 4-6 weeks. RW had recent swelling caused by a loose stitch.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) October 1, 2013
Thunder general manager Sam Presti said Westbrook's knee swelled up thanks to a loose stitch. On the plus side for Oklahoma City, his repaired meniscus is still intact. The loss of Westbrook figures to be a huge blow at the outset of a season in which most of Oklahoma City's top competitors made big additions.
The Houston Rockets, which were dispatched by the Thunder despite missing Westbrook, added Dwight Howard to the stable, while the Los Angeles Clippers added J.J. Redick, Jared Dudley, and head coach Doc Rivers this offseason.
With Westbrook out, the onus will fall on backup point guard Reggie Jackson to run the Thunder offense, which he did capably in the postseason. In the 2012-13 regular season Jackson averaged 5.3 points and 2.4 assists a night, but only saw about 14 minutes of floor time per game.
In the playoffs, his points jumped to 13.9 a night, while he dished out 3.6 assists and pulled down 4.9 rebounds. Stylistically, Jackson's game is reminiscent of Westbrook's. Both are athletic point guards who are at their best when driving to the basket. What remains to be seen is whether Jackson can finish like Westbrook near the rim.
Additionally, he will need to improve his court vision; as he's matured Westbrook's assist totals have soared due to his increased ability to find open shooters after defenses collapse in on his drives.
Derek Fisher is also on the Thunder roster, and he will be thrust into a larger role as Jackson's top backup. He will be asked to provide shooting on a team somewhat bereft of it on the perimeter, as well as play along with Jackson for stretches.
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