Apr 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts to a play in action against the Houston Rockets in the second half during game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook will miss the rest of the season after he has surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in the knee. While this is a major blow to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team might actually benefit in his absence. It’s now up to Kevin Durant to prove that he is one of the elite players in the NBA and lead his team back to the Finals. It has been debated that Westbrook takes away from Durant’s game, and now it’s time to see if Durant needs the all-star point guard.

The Thunder still have a very good team that is deep enough to get by the San Antonio Spurs and get another shot at redemption to winning their first title in franchise history. Personally, I believe Oklahoma will do just fine without Westbrook. This is Durant’s moment to shine and have the offense completely run through him. He has the ability to take over games like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, but because of Westbrook, Durant hasn’t been given the chance to show what he can do in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

This may seem like a critical blow to the young, experienced squad, but with the pieces they have like Derek Fisher, Thabo Sefolosha, Serge Ibaka, and Kevin Martin, there is still a good chance that they’ll get far. Without Westbrook, it’s also an opportunity for these players to step their games up and show that it’s not just two superstars and a bunch of role players. This is when we find out what teams are made of. Is the Oklahoma City Thunder a sponge that when dry, will break easily, or are they a rock that won’t be broken in the time of extreme adversity. If Durant truly is one of the best players in the NBA today, he’ll carry this team back to the Finals and get a shot at his first championship ring.

Apr 23, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett (5) walks to the bench after his fifth foul against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In the past few weeks, we’ve learned the extent of Kevin Garnett’s injury to a certain degree. Today, information has surfaced that bone spurs have been “floating from his ankle to his foot” according to ESPN Boston’s Jackie MacMullan. Adding to that, he has a hip pointer that he suffered in Game 2. Despite these injuries, Garnett isn’t complaining or making excuses. However, as an observer, questions need to be asked.

How painful are these bone spurs? Will this require surgery to fix? If this wasn’t the playoffs, would Garnett be playing? Should Celtics fans be concerned? Has age finally caught up to him and his body just can’t perform at the level it once could?

Starting with the first question, they’re obviously hindering his movements and his ability to be fully involved in the game, both physically and mentally. Bone spurs don’t just go away and will most likely require surgery, but the Celtics won’t tell the media that because of the mass panic it would cause. I truly believe that Garnett wouldn’t be playing if this was the regular season since these injuries require time to heal. Yes, Celtics fans should be concerned, not only because the team is down 0-2 in the series against New York, but there won’t be a healthy Garnett to fall back on when times get tough. It’s become evident that Father Time has caught up to him. Now, I’m not saying that he can’t contribute 20 points and 10 rebounds in a few games here or there, but this isn’t the Garnett we’ve all come to know and love.

There will also be questions that will have to be answered after the Celtics season is over. Is Garnett healthy enough to play one or two more seasons? Will he retire this offseason? What effect does this have on Paul Pierce? Questions can be asked from now until next October, but they’ll have to be answered, and it’s possible that these answers aren’t what the fan base wants to hear.

As I see it now, Boston is at a crossroads. Management either stays on the path that they’ve traveled down for the past six years, or they take the unpopular route and begin the rebuilding process. Needless to say, that road will be traveled regardless, it’s inevitable. The only question is, when do the Celtics decide to hop on the path that hasn’t be tread on since 2007.

Apr 13, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers against the Orlando Magic during the second half at the Amway Center. Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 120-88. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday, Doc Rivers went with a seven man rotation and only got four points off the bench in the loss to the New York Knicks. He only called on three bench players throughout the entire game and none of them could contribute enough to put a dent in New York’s armor. Among the players who never got off the pine, Chris Wilcox, Terrence Williams, and Shavlik Randolph, who proved that they can make an impact in games, sat on the bench and helplessly witnessed Game 1′s downfall. This cannot happen tomorrow.

During the season fans believed that Jason Terry’s value would surface in the playoffs, and after Saturday it’s now time to question whether he was a good signing at all. He was given multiple opportunities at high percentage shots on the perimeter, but failed to drain any of them, and to cap it off, “The Jet” was denied flight on a dunk attempt as he was rejected taking the ball to the rim. When people say that Terrence Williams should be getting his minutes, I can’t agree more. Terry is a liability on defense, and if he’s not knocking down shots, he’s just a body that the Celtics are putting on the floor.

Jordan Crawford wasn’t given enough time, playing only 10 minutes in Game 1. Putting him with Terrence Williams in the backcourt worked to perfection in the regular season, and Rivers should go back to that as it was successful. If they have Williams in, that takes a lot of pressure off of Crawford, and because of Williams height and length, he is not confined to playing the guard positions, but can also be moved to small forward when Jeff Green or Paul Pierce are on the bench.

The New York Knicks went with a ten man rotation which kept their starters from getting worn out during the game, and keeping them fresh against Boston’s weary legs. Not one forward off the bench for the Celtics came into the game. They were having difficulty boxing out on rebounds, but never went to Chris Wilcox, Shavlik Randolph, or even DJ White. You can’t win basketball games being reluctant to attempt to matchup against the other team. Kenyon Martin was looking young out there because Garnett, Green, and Bass were drained both physically and emotionally. Wilcox and Randolph may not give you 20 minutes of consistent playing time, but at least they’ll be doing something rather than watching the game like the millions of fans who tuned in on Saturday.

Doc Rivers needs to go with a bigger rotation. In 2008 he had plenty of options to go with, and now with the injuries, he has to rely on players he probably has no confidence in. But it works both ways. These guys who are watching won’t benefit just sitting, witnessing their teammates doing all the work. They need to be involved and start playing. The team may have looked winded in the fourth quarter because all the energy that could have been reserved was used trying to keep up with the Knicks offense.

New York may have great players, and they may be the better team. However, if Boston goes deeper into their bench, they can send waves of fresh players with rested legs who can match the Knicks, not with ability or talent, but at least staying in front of their man and giving the starters time to rest.

The bench is my key to victory in this series and for the rest of the playoffs. The reason Boston’s bench hasn’t been good the past few years is because Doc Rivers isn’t using them. If he goes with a nine or ten man rotation, I guarantee the effectiveness of the starters late in the game will have more of an impact than in Game 1. Now it’s up to the coaching staff to act and make adjustments. This series can’t be won by the starters alone, it has to be from everyone, including the last man on the bench. This series isn’t over by a long shot, but another loss like Saturday, and the fight within this team will be gone.