After suffering a nasty ankle injury against the Pelicans, Russell Westbrook is nearing a return for the OKC Thunder. In the interim he’s getting pretty good at this coaching thing

OKC Thunder fans witnessed what appeared to be tragic injury to Russell Westbrook versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Relief spread through the fan base upon discover it was limited to his ankle.

Thunderous Intentions writer Lawrence George offered injury update news and

cited Westbrook as inching closer and closer to a return.

Despite being listed as “out” for the past handful of games, Russell Westbrook has shown steady improvement through non-contact practice with the OKC Thunder according to Royce Young via Twitter.

Russell Westbrook participated in practice, though the Thunder didn’t do any contact. He’s “doing more and more each day,” Billy Donovan says, like running, cutting, etc. Sounds like he’s getting close, but it’s unclear on his availability for Wednesday’s game. — Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 13, 2018

In Westbrook’s absence, the Thunder are 3-1. Paul George and Dennis Schröder have taken over the leadership and scoring duties in Russ’ absence.

Unfortunately, Westbrook is still listed as “out” against the Knicks, which means he won’t be on the court while his teammates give the OKC fans a first look at their Native American inspired “city edition” uniforms.

Paul George and Coach Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/I68SYWnSOf — Brett Dawson (@BDawsonWrites) November 9, 2018

Coach Westbrook:

Despite suffering from an injury, Russell Westbrook has not lacked activity on the sidelines. Instead, Westbrook decided to embrace the position he’s been put in, and is offering assistance through a coaching role.

A big part in Terrance Ferguson’s improvement can be attributed to the support from Russ. After a rough game, T-Ferg decided to release his tension with a late night workout at the gym. But, a timely call from Westbrook seems to have provided the confidence shot in the arm the sophomore needed. Westbrook told him to forget about the pressure and just play basketball (as the video below details).

With this type of motivation, Westbrook has proven that not only can he assist his team on the court, but off the court as well. For all those who are doubtful of Westbrook’s playing style, this is yet another example of how he prioritizes his team over his individual success. Who knows, maybe one day Thunder fans will get a chance to watch Russell Westbrook coach a team of his own.

Defensive Prowess:

In the mean time, Thunder fans can be hopeful for the team’s future. TI writer Jahred Hughes highlights the squad’s defensive prowess and also the room for improvement.

“For the team to already be perched among the defensive leaders is a pleasant surprise and means there is much more for OKC Thunder fans to look forward to.”

Once the Thunder are able to get all of their defensive assets on the court together(Westbrook, George, and Roberson), we will finally get a look at how frightening this Thunder defense can be.

Til then, the OKC Thunder will play this softer portion of their schedule, Westbrook will continue to help on the sidelines and the team will hopefully continue to pad the win column.