The Kevin Durant injury news doesn't bode well for the MVP as surgery, which will sideline him for 6-8 weeks, won't guarantee full recovery. Meanwhile, this is the time for Russell Westbrook to prove that he belongs in the same breath as the game's elite.

According to the USA Today, the Kevin Durant injury will hurt the Thunder because the Jones fractures " have a habit of healing in the most unpredictable and problematic of ways."

"While surgery is expected in Durant's case, the recent stories of Brooklyn Nets big man Brook Lopez, Los Angeles Clippers forward Glen Davis, former Dallas Mavericks point guard Rodrigue Beaubois and others have shown us that a second surgery to heal the fifth metatarsal is sometimes required and recovery times with this injury may be greatly extended," it said.

Since 2007, Kevin Durant just missed 16 games overall while playing big minutes for his team.

The WebMD described the Jones fracture as "much less common but does not heal as well."

"This fracture gets worse with time if you keep walking on it, so non-weight bearing is very important. People with this fracture often (35-50% of the time) develop problems healing that require an operation," it said.

Meanwhile, SB Nation said that with the Kevin Durant injury, it's an opportunity for Russell Westbrook to prove his worth.

When Russell Westbrooke was sidelined for six weeks last season, Kevin Durant stepped up his game to keep the OKC in the playoff hunt.

"Westbrook has been one of the top scoring point guards in the NBA since he arrived and that's exactly what OKC needs in Durant's absence. KD scores nearly 30 points per game, and the Thunder's options behind him aren't built to pour in buckets," it said.

Russell Westbrooke has never been shy about gunning for his own shot. In fact, during Kevin Durant's MVP years, Westbrook represented 34% of Thunder's possessions.