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LOS ANGELES -- The early indication is that Russell Westbrook could miss four to six weeks after fracturing the second metacarpal in his right hand Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
It could keep the Thunder's electric point guard sidelined through mid-December and add him to an already ridiculously long list of injured Oklahoma City players who are expected to miss the season's first month.
The projected recovery time would cost Westbrook 15 games on the low end and as many as 21 contests. He would rejoin the lineup between Nov. 28 and Dec. 12.
Westbrook is scheduled to undergo further tests Friday in Oklahoma City.
His loss undoubtedly will be a crippling blow to a Thunder roster that has been decimated by injuries throughout October. Oklahoma City was counting on Westbrook to captain its injury-riddled roster for at least the first month of the season while a host of his teammates recovered from various ailments. Instead, Westbrook now joins Kevin Durant (broken foot), Reggie Jackson (ankle), Jeremy Lamb (back strain), Mitch McGary (broken foot), Anthony Morrow (sprained knee) and Grant Jerrett (ankle surgery) on the injury list.
"It's just really pretty unbelievable. You're kind of just shocked almost," said Thunder forward Nick Collison of his team's injury-riddled roster. "It's not funny at all, but you almost have to laugh about it just because it's so many guys."
In all likelihood, the Thunder will go into its home opener Saturday against Denver with just eight healthy players. Only one is a point guard. Joining veteran Sebastian Telfair are Collison, Perry Jones, Serge Ibaka, Andre Roberson, Kendrick Perkins, Steven Adams and Lance Thomas.
Under the league's hardship rule, however, teams can be granted additional roster spots and exceed the maximum of 15 players if they have been depleted by injuries. At least four players must be injured for at least two weeks and must miss at least three regular season games for a team to qualify.
Oklahoma City, which the league recently denied the hardship exception because it had not yet met the games missed criteria, certainly will be eligible now with Durant, Morrow, McGary and Grant Jerrett all set to miss Saturday's game against the Nuggets.
With Westbrook now out for an extended period, the Thunder could soon add two players to its roster, bringing the team's total number of players to 17.
But the Thunder is only a little more than $2 million below the tax threshold, and with players added via the hardship exception still counting toward the salary cap it’s unlikely the Thunder signs anyone who will push it past the tax despite the team’s current injury situation. And the truth is there isn't a free agent on the market who could overturn this level of misfortune and prove worthy of the long-term ramifications of the Thunder dipping into the tax.
Still, the Thunder needs help. Now.
The eight remaining players consist of one borderline All-Star (Ibaka), two defensive-oriented big men (Perkins and Collison), three largely unproven players who possess promise (Adams, Roberson and Jones), one journeyman (Telfair) and one training camp survivor (Thomas).
"It's unfortunate the way it is right now, but that's the way it is," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "We have to figure out how we can improve and get better from all of our experiences. And this is going to be a tough one, but the good teams, good players bounce back through adversity."
Westbrook ironically was the Thunder's healthiest player before Thursday. Of course, Westbrook missed 36 games last season after undergoing three surgeries on his right knee in 2013.
This latest injury appeared to be even more of a fluke than the Patrick Beverley play that derailed the Thunder's championship hopes when the Houston Rockets point guard crashed into Westbrook's knee and tore his lateral meniscus in the first round of the 2013 postseason.
Westbrook appeared to sustain his hand injury with just over eight minutes remaining in the second quarter of the Thunder's 93-90 loss to the Clippers. After missing a shot in front of the rim, Westbrook went for the offensive rebound but hit his hand against Perkins' back. Westbrook immediately looked down at his hand and grimaced. As he transitioned on defense, he attempted to shake off the discomfort. But 90 seconds later, Westbrook removed himself from the game and after pausing briefly at the end of the bench darted toward the locker room.
"We have to figure it out together," Brooks said.
Jackson's ankle injury isn't believed to be serious, and he is expected to rejoin the lineup soon. His presence will provide not only much-needed relief but also another reliable scorer. It's unclear, however, if Jackson will make his season debut Saturday against the Nuggets.
His return has become paramount, because the Thunder's playoff seeding in the ultra-compe ive Western Conference has become a real concern before the calendar flips to November.
A loss in Saturday's home opener would drop the Thunder to 0-3. It would be the first 0-3 start in the franchise's Oklahoma City era.
"We just got to make sure we stay afloat," said Perkins. "Try to keep pushing to stay at .500 and then when they get back we just try to make a push."
Damn, sucks for the Thunder. If Alphabrook misses significant time, it looks like they won't even make the playoffs.
On a side note, whoever it was that was heckling him from the crowd last night needs to stop being a got and go back to rooting for the Lakers. That type of makes actual Clipper fans look bad.
So far the Ariza pickup is looking good. Jones looks like he may have improved his rebounding, hopefully so because it is a key development having two good rebounders in the post. Beverley needs to stay healthy though since Canaan is not consistent at all. Need to find a serviceable backup PG.
Thunder coastng
Clippers
Doubt it. They got stomped in game one WITH Refs .
Without him? Ha.
Sounds like a USC fan
Westbrook: Watchu want ?
Couldn't have happened to a nicer person tbh.
And... who is going to score for them with Durant and WB out? Every single one of those rosters except maybe LA has better players than the scrap heap that is OKC right now.
if they lose more then 20 games after 1-2months without brick/durant, they could kiss playoffs goodbye and head for the lottery
Let's say best case scenario here: They go 7-19 from here on out to hit 7-21 by the time WB returns, or thereabouts.
50 wins is probably going to be necessary to make the WC playoffs this year.
That means the Thunder have to go 43-11 to make the playoffs.
Ouch.
Clips I dont trust come 'offs bu t they are built to crank out a bunch of regular season wins ...
@CN, Clip fans the die-hard crew are as legit as anyone's fan-base but the bandwaggoners you have (a huge contingent) is as ty as anyone else ...you ainth ebest standard bearer either tbh, Strength and Honor doesnt troll, is not a hater and doesnt on his own players unwarranted. He is the old-school clips fan ...
Naw, Kimchi scruh, you s do that on your very own.
Can't really go by last night's game. The Clippers love to play down to injured teams missing their stars, and they love allowing scrubs to go off for career nights. Both factors were at play last night.
Realistically, that team is going to suck HARD without Durbeta and Alphabrook. If you're relying on Ibaka to be the first option, you're not winning very many games.
Okay, so you have 40 points a game. You need 95 realistically to win even a 3rd of your games.
Do you see the rest of that team giving them 55 points per game?
Non-issue.
Might be problematic for the Spurs later on since OKC will need to develop its bench now. You know that wasn't happening with a healthy Durant and Westbrook in the mix.
8 games in 2 months? thats a lot of rest.
I hope it's life-threatening
Damn brah
You're actually worried about that? I can't see the bench developing into a well-oiled machine with Scott Brooks at the helm. And even if they did, they will just revert back to their old ways when Durant and Westbrick return.
More excuses for OKC fans when Spurs stomp a hole in their asses...
Doesn't need to be well oiled tbh. Just more confident and productive. They're not the Spurs.
You never know until the time arrives. I'd rather not Brooks have the opportunity to see the light, he might just step through the door.
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