OKC's Russell Westbrook, Paul George undergo surgery

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All-Star players of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook and Paul George, have undergone surgeries, announced the team on Tuesday.

George had a rotator cuff surgery for a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder and will undergo another small one to repair a small tear in the labrum of his left shoulder.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, George will miss at least the start of the preseason training camp of the 2019-20 season.

Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots during a game. /VCG Photo

Before shoulder issues caught up with him in late February, George had been shocking the whole NBA with MVP- and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)-level performance of 28.7 points per game at the FG rate of 45.1 percent and a 3-pt rate of 40.3 percent.

Oklahoma City won 28 of their 59 games to rank No.3 in the Western Conference.

However, since he was held back by his injuries, George ceased to be steady with his work on the court as his average points fell to 26.1 points with an FG rate of 39.7 percent and a 3-pt rate of 33.8 percent. Meanwhile, the Thunder lost 12 of their 23 games and slipped to No.6 in the conference.

Things got even worse in the playoffs. George said he could not even raise his arms before Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers and had not touched a ball for four days before the match. Eventually, OKC were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. /VCG Photo

Westbrook's case is more complicated. He had a small surgery to repair a torn ligament in a finger on his left hand and a minor procedure for his right knee, which was described as proactive maintenance.

Knee injuries have been bothering Westbrook for years and are chipping away at his athleticism, which is the cornerstone of his game. Though he managed to drop another triple-double season of 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists, Westbrook shot at a terrible FG rate of 42.8 percent, a 3-pt percent of 29.0 percent and a free throw rate of 65.6 percent.

Westbrook's signature moves of "cotton shot" and assaulting the rim all required ultimate athleticism to finish and when he could not jump that high, his accuracy took a hit, further damaging his influence in offense.