The Oklahoma City Thunder will open their 2018-19 season on the road against the defending champion Golden State Warriors on ring ceremony night at Oracle, but will do so without their top star.
The Thunder enter the year with high expectations once again with Paul George re-signing, but we won’t get to see how George and Westbrook work together without Carmelo Anthony on the team just yet. That’s because Russell Westbrook is officially out for the game, as announced on Tuesday morning, as he continues to work his way back from offseason knee surgery. Steven Adams, meanwhile, remains a game-time decision for the Thunder.
Russell Westbrook is OUT tonight against Golden State. Steven Adams is a game-time decision.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 16, 2018
Westbrook is close to returning, but he’s being held out for at least the opener as he gets back into basketball condition. It’s a bummer for the NBA and the viewing audience who hoped to see a heavyweight battle and gauge where the Thunder are in relation to the Warriors at this early juncture, but it’s the wise thing for the Thunder to do to protect their superstar long-term.Westbrook’s absence isn’t a major surprise, and it’s likely built into why the Thunder are 13 point underdogs to the Warriors on Tuesday night.
Oklahoma City is already without Andre Roberson due to a setback in his rehab, so we weren’t going to see them at full force anyways. While being patient with Westbrook’s knee is wise, they also will need him back on the floor fairly soon because in the West, you can’t afford any bad stretches of games without it having a significant effect on your playoff seeding.
