Alonzo Adams/Associated Press

Russell Westbrook Underwent Postseason Surgeries on Finger, Knee Injuries

Scott Polacek

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook underwent an offseason procedure to fix a torn ligament in a finger on his left hand and a minor procedure on his right knee, the team announced (per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman).

Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young of ESPN.com first reported the news.

While the UCLA product has been durable in recent seasons, he missed the first two games of the 2018-19 campaign recovering from a knee injury and then missed time in November with an ankle injury.

This season broke his streak of three straight years playing at least 80 games.

Westbrook is one of the best players in the league and a primary reason the Thunder are contenders in the Western Conference picture. He won the league MVP in 2016-17, is an eight-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion and became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double across an entire season in 2017.

He averaged 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists last season, his third consecutive year with triple-double averages. 

Oklahoma City surely needs him back and healthy in time for the start of the 2019-20 regular season. Thankfully, there's no indication to believe Westbrook will be out to begin next year.

   

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