Russell Westbrook could see reduced workload with Wizards

Russell Westbrook has always been known as a workhorse, but he may be markedly less of one with his new team.

Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said Sunday that the team is likely to hold Westbrook out of back-to-back games this season, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington.

The former MVP Westbrook is one of the more durable players in the NBA. He played 35.9 minutes a game last season with the Houston Rockets, which was above his career average. But Westbrook recently turned 32 and also missed time this past postseason due to a quad injury.

The Wizards look like a potential playoff team this year and have a handful of point guards (Ish Smith, new free agent signee Raul Neto, and rookie Cassius Winston) who can fill in for Westbrook whenever he sits.

That said though, Westbrook looks incredibly motivated in Washington, so keeping him fresh for the stretch run will be very important.