Thunder will look for Westbrook to carry load with Durant sidelined

Russell Westbrook won't have to worry about sharing the ball with teammate Kevin Durant – not for the first month of the season at least. 

Durant was diagnosed with a Jones fracture Sunday, a right foot injury that is expected to sideline the reigning MVP for six-to-eight weeks. That leaves Westbrook as the go-to scorer on an Oklahoma City Thunder team in search of its fifth consecutive division title. 

While Durant's loss is a massive blow for the Thunder, Westbrook will get his first chance to show whether he can lead a team without his sidekick present. The gifted scorer has played second fiddle to Durant – who has missed just six games over the last five seasons – since breaking into the league during the 2007-08 season. 

Neither talent nor personal confidence is a concern regarding Westbrook – he has plenty of both. But the three operations he had on his right knee last year have to leave the Thunder even more uneasy about losing Durant for potentially a quarter of the season. Oklahoma City can ill-afford to have its 25-year-old point guard deal with further knee problems after the ailments limited him to a career-low 46 games last season. 

Even with Durant in the fold, Westbrook has always been trigger happy, something that's only likely to increase. The high-volume scorer will be the primary ball handler and won't have to worry about any power struggle with Durant, paving the way for Westbrook to have a monster season. 

Westbrook only played 41 minutes without Durant last season and attempted a whopping 35 shots during that time, likely a sign of things to come. Even if his percentages suffer, his averages should increase. 

The California native attempted a career-high 4.7 shots from beyond the arc last season, but his explosiveness and ability to get to the basket is what sets him apart at his position. The Thunder will need a combination of that from him in addition to assuming more of a leadership role.

The duo averaged 51 percent of the points the Thunder scored last season, and have been right around that mark in previous years. Oklahoma City plays well with the pair scoring at a high rate, and while Westbrook's numbers are due for a spike the team has no one who can step in to fill Durant's void. 

Big man Serge Ibaka has continued improving over his five NBA seasons, and averaged a career-high 15.1 points per game last year. He is someone who will certainly get a chance to contribute more offensively, as will Reggie Jackson, who started while Westbrook was out last season. 

Jackson was relegated to the bench once Westbrook returned, but still received plenty of minutes as a sixth man and averaged career highs across the board. 

The Thunder don't have anyone at the small forward position who will come close to matching Durant's production. But look for Jeremy Lamb, entering his third season in the NBA, and offseason acquisition Anthony Morrow to also step up and fill more of an offensive role for the team.