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 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) talks to NBA official Jason Phillips during play 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

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced that Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery on a torn meniscus suffered in game 2 against the Houston Rockets.

Westbrook suffered the tear when Patrick Beverly tried to steal the ball in the 2nd quarter while Westbrook was trying to call a timeout. Westbrook was visibly limping and upset at what Beverly had done.

Sam Presti, the Thunder GM, released this statement today.

“Our players’ health is our first and foremost concern. The Thunder’s medical team and several specialists we consulted with determined that Russell undergo a procedure to address the issue,” said Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti in a release. “We have thoroughly discussed this with Russell. Despite being the competitor and teammate that he is, he respects and understands the decision and is committed to come back even stronger. Certainly Russell is a leader and core player for this team, but we are in the midst of the playoffs and I know other players are determined to step up and contribute. We have a resilient group of players who have always taken pride in playing as a team and that approach will continue.”

-via Daily Thunder

There’s no timetable on Westbrook’s return to the playoffs. We’ve seen Brandon Roy play on a torn meniscus. Ron Artest tore his meniscus earlier this season and returned in a matter of weeks. It all varies when it comes to this injury, it seems.

Keep in mind that the Thunder have never seen a basketball court without Russell Westbrook since he’s been drafted. Reggie Jackson will likely start the game for the Thunder and this means an increase in minutes for Derek Fisher.

Kevin Durant’s ball handling responsibility is sure to increase as well. There’s going to be a lot more pressure on him to be more superhuman than ever before. If he’s truly the second best player in the league, then he’ll have no issue in doing so.

We’ll see how it turns out. The Thunder play again tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m Eastern Time on ESPN.

Mar 17, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) with guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

There has been much debate since February of 2011 on whether the trade that sent Kendrick Perkins to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Jeff Green, who ended up with the Boston Celtics, was the right move. However, while that trade has always been seen from Boston’s perspective locally, no one has delved into Oklahoma City’s side of the deal. Over two years later, Jeff Green has found his place with the Celtics, and has won a few games for them as the playoffs are right around the corner. For the Thunder, Kendrick Perkins didn’t pan out or match the numbers he was putting up with the Celtics. Did Oklahoma City get the worst end of the trade? Did they make the same mistake when they traded James Harden?

The Thunder are currently second in the Western Conference standings and well on their way to another deep playoff run. But there is one player who plays for Oklahoma City that could once again negate their chances of winning a title. Russell Westbrook. This is where arguments can be made, but Westbrook cannot, and has not coexisted with Kevin Durant. Sunday’s game against the New York Knicks was a prime example. Westbrook finished with 37 points 11 rebounds and 8 assists. While those are tremendous numbers for a point guard, he’s taken away too much from Durant’s game as Durant is not getting the ball when he’s most effective, which is late in games.

This has happened plenty of times before. Westbrook turns into a shooting guard at the wrong time and plays selfish, hero-like basketball, which on multiple occasions has lost a few games for the Thunder because of that. Now, I’m not taking anything away from Westbrook, but it’s not his team, it’s Durant’s. Durant is the player who should have the ball in his hands late in games, not Westbrook. This discussion can be endless, so without continuously beating a dead horse, I move on.

Before this season began, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets. Again, the Thunder got the worst end of the trade. Harden has stepped up and has become a leader, which he wouldn’t have become if he was still in Oklahoma City. Houston is now playoff bound because of Harden. But was letting him go a big mistake on the part of the Thunder? Once again, I’m saying yes. Had they given the money they spent on Westbrook to Harden, and turned around to trade Westbrook for a real point guard, Oklahoma City would be much better. This is a strong accusation on my part, but the results don’t lie. Harden wasn’t getting in Durant’s way and neither was Jeff Green. Yes, I’ve brought him back into the picture.

The Big Three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Jeff Green was enough to win championships for years to come. But that will never be known after the trades split the trio apart. Now Oklahoma City has two superstars who don’t compliment each other in certain situations of a game, especially late in the fourth quarter. Sure, they’re winning games and could go deep into the playoffs, but they won’t overcome the obstacles known as the San Antonio Spurs or Miami Heat.

In the final analysis, there is one other side to this ordeal. Would Jeff Green and James Harden be as good as they are today if they were still playing for the Thunder? I truly believe the combination of Durant and Green would have been a dominant force in the front court. The length of both players would have caused matchup problems, which is exactly whats happening in Boston as Paul Pierce and Green have become a force to be reckoned with. Harden on the other hand was in the shadow of Durant and Westbrook, and didn’t fully shine in his time with the Thunder. His game is better suited with the Rockets as he’s become the superstar, the go-to-guy, the player who his team looks to late in games. He’s averaging 25.8 ppg which is almost 9 points more than what he’s been averaging throughout his career.

The Thunder ultimately made the mistake by letting two great players go and keeping a point guard who would be better if he lead a team on his own like Derrick Rose with the Chicago Bulls. Oklahoma City may return to the Finals this season, but they’re not as good as they once were, or could have been today.