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Russell Westbrook fractures hand, sending ripples through West

By David MacKay

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Just one night after burning the Portland Trail Blazers for 38 points in the season opener, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook has been sidelined until further notice with a fractured metacarpal in his right hand. He appeared to sustain the injury in the second quarter of Thursday night’s 93-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He exited the game and did not return.

X-rays taken at the Staples center confirmed the injury, but Westbrook will be reevaluated sometime today. The standard recovery time for a non-displaced metacarpal fracture is 6-12 weeks, sometimes longer. However; it would not be unprecedented for an NBA player to return much sooner than that. The optimistic end of the spectrum looks more like 4-8 weeks.

Still, any amount of time without Westbrook and reigning MVP Kevin Durant (fractured foot) is incredibly damaging—especially in the tough Western Conference. The Thunder are facing at least one month, probably longer, without both players. As early in the season as it is, this virtually guarantees that they will not have favorable seeding come playoff time. Actually… will they even make the playoffs?

Long term injuries:

Short term injuries:

Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks has always drawn criticism for his offensive playbook, replete with ISOs and void of creativity. The extended absence of his superstars will be a grueling test for him. If he cannot keep the ship afloat with Andre Roberson, Perry Jones, Serge Ibaka, and company until broken bones are mended memories, what will happen in the West?

Oct 29, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) dunks over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the fourth quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Well, for starters, the window opens wider for the Trail Blazers to become the Northwest division leader if parallel catastrophes do not befall them (knock on wood). This could have absolutely huge implications in the post-season, since a tie between teams that have the same regular season record is always broken by division leaders (if applicable). Favorable seeding can mean a weaker opponent, homecourt advantage, or both, depending on where a team ranks within the conference top-8.

As for the West as whole, everyone gets a little jump start. This is kind of like what happened with Marc Gasol in Memphis last season. After he sprained his MCL, the Grizzlies struggled without him, but thrived when he returned—just barely making the playoffs. The situation in Oklahoma City is considerably worse than that, which could allow for even more teams that are on the cusp of relevance, like the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, to take advantage.

Will the Thunder actually drop all the way out of the playoffs? I am skeptical. Remember, injuries are a contributing factor in losses, but do not directly translate to them. The Thunder are strong and motivated. If they do hold on (again, all of this is extremely early), it could spell trouble for whoever gets that aforementioned favorable seeding. Using the 2013-14 Grizzlies as an example once more, they were terrifying as the seventh seed, taking the Thunder to seven games with uncertain outcome in the first round.

We will know more about Westbrook’s fate in a matter of hours, but the outlook does not look good for Oklahoma City. Everyone else can breathe a little easier, but with heavy, somber breath. There is no cause to celebrate the temporary loss of a premiere talent in this league. The game itself suffers.