Russell Westbrook Injury: When Will Thunder PG Return?

Getty Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook has been ruled out for the Thunder’s opening game against the Warriors, and the OKC point guard could miss additional time. Westbrook is continuing to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery that took place on September 12th. ESPN’s Royce Young detailed the latest on Westbrook’s recovery.

Westbrook underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Sept. 12 and had a timetable to be re-evaluated in four weeks. He is said to be “progressing” and closing in on a return, but he has not been cleared for full practice yet. Donovan said Westbrook is still taking part in “controlled contact” portions of practice.

Young reported Westbrook warmed up before the Warriors game, and mostly looked like himself.

“Watched Russell Westbrook go through his full pregame routine. Looked like himself physically, throwing down a two-handed dunk and moving well. But the jumper was a bit rusty, especially the pull-up. Some pretty bad misses, including a few airballs,” Young noted.

The Thunder may have known Westbrook’s status before tonight. Young reported yesterday that Westbrook was listed as out in the game notes.

“Always subject to change and likely a much firmer update will come tomorrow after shootaround, but Russell Westbrook is listed as out against the Warriors in the game notes. Also, Steven Adams is listed as questionable with lower back stiffness,” Young tweeted on Monday, October 15.

During the preseason, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan spoke about what would need to happen for Westbrook to be cleared to play.

“There’s a lot of things we’re going to have to go through to get to that decision, and there’s certain things he’s going to have to go through to get himself fully cleared,” Donovan explained to News OK. “But he’s certainly moving in the right direction and I think he’s worked really hard at his rehab to try to get himself back.”

According to News OK, Westbrook was experiencing inflammation in his knee and opted to have the procedure immediately rather than missing time during the Thunder’s stretch run.

Westbrook felt stiffness and experienced inflammation in his knee last weekend, and elected to have surgery now as opposed to missing time deep into the season. The surgery, which the Thunder is calling a proactive procedure, was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache with Thunder medical personnel present at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles.