Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook is expected to sit out the first two preseason games and make his preseason debut when team plays the Toronto Raptors on Oct. 8 and 10 in Japan, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Earlier on Monday, Westbrook was scratched from taking part on the first preseason game against the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, as the team took precautionary measures to bring him back healthy after he was just cleared to take part on five-on-five scrimmages.
Many have wondered how Westbrook will look playing next to James Harden, another ball-dominant player. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni insist they will use Harden and Westbrook in ways that highlight their own individual traits — allowing for Harden’s dominance in the half court while making use of Westbrook’s otherworldly end-to-end speed for transition opportunities.
If it proves effective, the Rockets could have a very interesting and somewhat individualistic one-two punch with these two former MVPs, able to hurt teams with speed in transition or lethal artillery in isolation play.
The Rockets will have to prioritize the health of their stars if they hope to make a dent in a very deep Western Conference, and that includes keeping Westbrook, who is coming off an arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this summer, healthy enough to go into the postseason with some juice in his legs.
At age 30 for both Westbrook and Harden, the team intends to do some load management with veteran players, allowing for fresh legs for those dog days of the regular season.
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