Russell Westbrook Has Opportunity to Gain Support Without Kevin Durant

By Brian Anderson @MrAnderson035 on October 13, 2014

The Oklahoma City Thunder received some terrible news earlier today when their star player, Kevin Durant, was diagnosed with a fracture in his foot. Reports say Durant will miss at least 6-8 weeks before he even thinks about returning to the floor. The Thunder lost rookie Mitch McGary for 6-8 weeks and they are waiting to see if Reggie Jackson will miss any time after injuring his shoulder in their second preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks.

With some big injuries looming early in the year, the Thunder will have to find a way to manage without some of their key players. In a deep Western Conference, each game is important. When we learned of Durant’s injury, once thing was certain – Russell Westbrook will have to take his game to another level if the Thunder are going to stay afloat through the first two month or two as Durant recovers from the surgery he’s expected to undergo any day now. We all know what Durant did while Westbrook missed time due to multiple knee injuries. The question is whether Westbrook can duplicate that output without the Thunder’s leading man.

Westbrook missed over 40 games last season, but nobody noticed. That is mainly because Durant kept the Thunder in the upper tier of the conference with some of the best basketball he has played at any point of his career. Averaging over 35 points per game, KD let the world know that he has what it takes to lead a team with limited help. It is now Westbrook’s turn to step up and prove that he can do the same thing.

There is no question that Westbrook possesses the talent to keep the Thunder contending at a championship level, but whether he will be able to handle the pressure has yet to be seen. I imagine that Westbrook is welcoming the challenge. He knows he will always be seen as the second best player on the Thunder and now is his chance to prove that he is more valuable than most people give him credit for.

The media and fans constantly blast Westbrook for his erratic play and willingness to take too many shots. If he can carry OKC on his back in the stacked Western Conference, then I am sure he will have gained the respect of those same people who have doubted him up to this point. Now is his time and I’m willing to bet that Westbrook will embrace this opportunity and prove that he deserves just as much respect as Durant or any top tier player in the NBA.

Brian Anderson is an NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrAnderson035 “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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