Apr 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverly (12) 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 postseason according to Royce Young of Dailly Thunder. Young says that the Oklahoma City Thunder are taking the safe route and shutting him down for the rest of the season.

Russell Westbrook has had surgery on his torn meniscus and will miss the remainder of the postseason.

— Royce Young (@dailythunder) April 27, 2013

This could be the best route for the Oklahoma City Thunder. With as many athletes that are getting injured game by game, you don’t want to see the injuries getting worse. With Westbrook playing, there’s a chance that this could get worse.

General Manager Sam Presti said that Westbrook will start his rehabilitation process today according to Young.

It’s going to be interesting to see if the Thunder make it back to the NBA Finals this season. And if they do, could they change their minds about Westbrook if he is through with his rehab and cleared to play?

There are a lot of interesting questions going forward. This is going to be a difficult time for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they have never seen an NBA floor without Russell Westbrook. We’ll see what happens going forward.

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.