Westbrook out for Game 3 but makes presence felt
Rockets guard Russell Westbrook went through on-court workouts on Friday, his first since his strained quadriceps muscle sidelined him Aug. 12, but he was declared out for Saturday’s Game 3 against the Thunder with no timetable for when he could return.
“He’s been shooting a lot,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “Any kind of contact, he hasn’t done that yet.”
D’Antoni said the Rockets would be cautious with a 2-0 lead, though he said they were determined to be cautious, anyway. Westbrook had come back from the injury to play in one game Aug. 11 before going out again.
“If you’re down 0-2, that puts you in a different position than if it’s 2-0,” D’Antoni said. “But we’re going to be careful with Russ. He’s too valuable to just throw out there no matter what the situation is. He’s going to be well. And we can’t wait to get him back. This does help, but it helps a lot of different areas. We’re going to be careful with him.”
Westbrook, however, has made his presence felt and heard, being characteristically loud and involved from the bench with a mix of cheering and coaching.
“He’s a part of everything,” Rockets guard Austin Rivers said. “He’s very vocal, obviously, during games. He’s very vocal during film like he was (Friday) and practice he is involved and working out. He looks like he can play almost. He’s just not going full speed. He’s moving around, getting shots.”
Rivers said there is no choice but to keep Westbrook involved.
“That’s the type of player he is and more so the type of teammate he is,” Rivers said. “The guys on our team, Russ, James ( Harden), they’re so involved, they want to be a part of everything.”
When asked how Westbrook has been, center Jeff Green said, “You want an honest answer? Annoying.
“No, he’s been great. Russ is being Russ. Even though he’s not playing, it feels like he is. His attention to detail, his demeanor is like he’s playing. And I love it. We pretty much came into the league together. It’s still amazing to see. He’s very attentive to what’s going on even though he’s not playing.”
Green finished his rookie season with the Seattle SuperSonics when Westbrook was drafted in 2008. In his first season with the Rockets, he quickly established himself as a leader.
“He’s just being vocal,” D’Antoni said. “Russell’s personality is a big part of the team. That’s not hurt. He does the same thing when he’s playing. His personality is huge for us.”