Russell Westbrook, star of the OKC Thunder, ruled out for the first game of the season against the Golden State Warriors



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The Oklahoma City Thunder will not have a big part of their squad at the opening of Tuesday's season.

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The team announced that the guardian of the superstar Russell Westbrook was excluded for Tuesday's match against the Golden State Warriors. Westbrook had originally been listed as on on the team's injury report for the match, but the Thunder was making a final assessment on Tuesday.

Westbrook underwent arthroscopic surgery of the right knee on September 12th. The plan should be re-evaluated in four weeks. Starting October 11, head coach Billy Donovan revealed that the most valuable former NBA player had not yet been allowed to contact and that he was working with the Thunder's medical team in "controlled situations".

Westbrook had initially felt stiffness in his right knee, which led the team to opt for the procedure before the season. If Westbrook had waited until the end of the procedure after the 2018-2019 campaign, it might have lasted the entire season.

Westbrook has just finished another season of outstanding player caliber, averaging 25.4 points, 10.3 assists and 10.1 rebounds. It was the second consecutive season during which he got a triple-double.

In the absence of Westbrook, Dennis Schroder, whom the team acquired during the three-way exchange with Carmelo Anthony over the summer, was the guardian of the Thunder at the preseason. Schroder definitely thrived in the role since he averaged 15.3 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds.

Schroder will likely serve as a starting guard in the absence of Westbrook against the Warriors. On Monday, Schroder spoke to the media and said that he was ready to do "all that is needed" to help the Thunder win, whether Westbrook is able to play or not.

The Thunder can be at a disadvantage when it faces the defending champions. Center Steven Adams is currently struggling with low back stiffness and is currently considered debatable by the team. It seems likely that Adams will be a decision to make at the time of the game.

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