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OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook will miss the first 4-6 weeks of the NBA season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday. General Manager Sam Presti said the three-time All-Star had knee swelling that would not subside, and the procedure was intended to solve the problem. He said doctors determined that a loose stitch was to blame for the swelling, that Westbrooks lateral meniscus has healed properly and the procedure was successful. "Russell has been incredible in his work and rehabilitation," Presti said. "His performance levels have been tremendous, and hes looked great in the part of practice that hes been cleared to go through. So, we were very, very encouraged in that respect. But when the swelling wasnt subsiding, we made the decision to have the knee evaluated." Westbrook also had surgery in May to repair cartilage in his right knee after he was hurt in Game 2 of Oklahoma Citys first-round playoff series with Houston. He had had never missed a game in his five NBA seasons before the injury. Westbrook averaged 23.2 points and 7.4 assists per game last season, but he wound up watching the Thunders second-round playoff exit to Memphis from the bench. Westbrook was hurt on April 24 when Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley lunged for a steal as Westbrook stopped to call a timeout in the second quarter of Game 2. He remained in the game and it wasnt until two days later that the team announced hed miss the rest of the playoffs. Beverley has said he wasnt trying to hurt anyone and was simply trying to make a play. Last week, Westbrook said once hes fully recovered, he doesnt plan on changing anything about his playing style, including his ability to drive to the basket. Oklahoma City needs offensive help alongside Kevin Durant and Westbrook following the departure of Kevin Martin, who averaged 14 points per game last season. Some of the offence is expected to be picked up by third-year guard Reggie Jackson, who averaged 13.9 points in the playoffs after averaging just 5.3 during the regular season. Also, forward Serge Ibaka returns after averaging 13.2 points per game last season. Presti said losing Westbrook in the early going was worth it for the peace of mind. "Of course, both from the standpoint wed like to have him on the floor as soon as possible, but in this case, although we lose a little bit of time, we gained a tremendous amount of confidence in the actual progression and recovery process of the knee itself," he said. Lakers Jerseys China . But its also a smart game. Theres more to the Kings than banging bodies. They take a toll mentally on their opponents. Bob McAdoo Jersey . Pistorius mindset when he stood on his stumps in a bathroom and pulled the trigger on his 9 mm pistol in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013 remains the crux of the South African trial that has captured worldwide attention and is about to start its seventh week of globally televised proceedings. It was initially scheduled to run for three weeks. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/721j-z...y-lakers.html.J. - Henrik Lundqvist has done more than set a couple of franchise records for the New York Rangers this week. Vern Mikkelsen Jersey . "Im excited just for a new start, just to see where things are going, to bring some kind of tradition back to the team and guys being excited about something new," the defensive back said during a conference call Monday after agreeing to stay with the Bombers rather than go to free agency next month. Dennis Rodman Lakers Jersey . The thinking at the time was Clowney could have already been promised he would be selected first overall by the Houston Texans, therefore negating any need to meet with any other teams. The plot took another twist this week.With the second round of the NHL Playoffs set to begin, heres a look at a handful of players that might provide good value in the Playoff Hockey Challenge, a contest in which you set your lineup under a $100 salary cap. Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles (Cost: $6.8) - After scoring a point-per-game (1 G, 6 A) against San Jose in the first round, Doughty appears to be at his best, which means hes as valuable as any defenceman in the game and Doughty comes at a cost of $0.9 less than top-priced P.K. Subban and the same price as Matt Niskanen and Andrei Markov. Dougie Hamilton, D, Boston (Cost: $4.7) - The second-year blueliner is emerging as a bigger contributor, getting more power play time late in the regular season and into the playoffs, putting up four points (1 G, 3 A) in five games against Detroit in Round One. Hamilton isnt yet as productive as the top defencemen, but hes dramatically cheaper, which could allow for more roster flexibility elsewhere. Paul Martin, D, Pittsburgh (Cost: $4.6) - Opened the playoffs with four straight two-assists games, playing big minutes on the Penguins blueline, including the power play. For the same price as Robyn Regehr and Raphael Diaz? Yes, please. Justin Williams, RW, Los Angeles (Cost: $5.8) - Consider the Kings a good vvalue team going forward, but Williams, who tied Anze Kopitar for the team lead with four goals, and led the Kings with 21 shots on goal in Round One, costs less than MatT Moulson, Nick Bonino, Brandon Saad or Reilly Smith (among many others).dddddddddddd Patrice Bergeron, C, Boston (Cost: $6.6) - Produced an efficient five points (1 G, 4 A) in five first-round games and is one of the games premier two-way talents. He also has 17 goals and 43 points against Montreal in his career, tying for his best against any team, so grabbing Bergeron for the same price as Reilly Smith or Patrick Maroon is a gift. Bryan Bickell, LW, Chicago (Cost: $3.4) - If youve maxed out your budget and are left perusing the bargain bin, dont overlook Bickell, who had three points (2 G, 1 A) in the first round, while ranking third on the Blackhawks with 19 shots on goal. Hes back on the wing with Jonathan Toews, so for the same price as Justin Fontaine or Teemu Selanne, Bickell offers a favourable alternative. Click here to set your Playoff Hockey Challenge roster for the second round. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '