Russell Westbrook Might Not Be Ready For Season Opener

Oklahoma City Thunder super star Russell Westbrook may not be ready to play in the team’s season opener after offseason knee surgery.

The Thunder held their team media day on Friday in anticipation of the 2013-14 NBA season. Russell Westbrook was there and was open with the media about his health status:

“I don’t know how long the process takes normally. Everybody’s body is different. I think once people see a certain knee injury everybody expects (the timeline to be) three or four months, or they say 10 days. But everybody reacts to certain injuries different. This is my first time ever being hurt and being out this long.”

Russell Westbrook tore the lateral meniscus in his knee during game two of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Thunder team president Sam Presti said, “he’s on pace,” but refused to place a timetable on Westbrook’s recovery.

Russell Westbrook would obviously like to be healthy enough for the season opener, but there is no reason to rush the team’s best player.

Westbrook is also still a very young player, and at 24-years-old, the players career longevity is just as important, if not more so than the team’s success. Say what you want about how the Chicago Bulls handled Derrick Rose’s recovery, but no one will care if Rose leads the Bulls to multiple rings.

The good news for the Thunder is that Westbrook has had no setbacks in his rehab so far. If everything lines up the way it should, it’s possible he could play the opener.

Do you think Russell Westbrook should be allowed to play the Thunder’s opener? Is it still too early to speculate?

[image via Wikimedia Commons]