Kevin Durant progressing well, to be re-evaluated in another week

It's a good thing Russell Westbrook is a cyborg and will return after missing a single game with a broken face.

Were it not for that, the Oklahoma City Thunder might be in some trouble in the Western Conference playoff race, trying to fight off two teams within striking distance without reigning MVP Kevin Durant.

While Durant is progressing well and has moved to set shooting following a Feb. 22 surgery to alleviate pain in his surgically-repaired right foot, he is out at least another week. Durant will be re-evaluated in one more week, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks said Tuesday.

That means Durant will miss at least three more games. The Thunder have a light 10-day stretch right ahead, so the timing could be worse.

Durant originally suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot in the preseason, an injury that cost him the first 17 games of the season. He had been experiencing soreness in the foot - not at all uncommon or alarming - and the team opted to have the screw in his foot replaced in hopes of lessening his discomfort. 

Practicing caution with his return is a prudent strategy, one the Thunder are able to employ in part because Westbrook has been playing out of his mind. The Thunder were 5-2 without Durant in February and are 10-8 on the year when he sits but Westbrook plays.

That's not to say Durant won't be welcomed back with open arms, whenever he's ready. In 27 games, he was averaging 25.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and the Thunder are basically unstoppable when he and Westbrook share the floor, outscoring opponents by 10.6 points per-100 possessions.