Is this some kind of sick and twisted joke?
Yesterday I wrote about Russell Westbrook not being able to do enough to carry the Oklahoma City Thunder to victory due to all of the team’s injuries. Little did I know that midway through the second quarter of last night’s loss to the Clippers, Westbrook would leave the game with what turned out to be a slight fracture in his right hand.
The timetable for his return has been set for 4-6 weeks and the problems I complained about yesterday don’t seem so bad anymore. An organization that has been used to having two of the most durable and dependable stars in the league for the last six seasons will now be without both for the next month plus.
What does this mean for the Thunder? I’m not really sure.
For the immediate future it means very, very bad things; mainly because Westbrook and Kevin Durant aren’t the only injured players. As of now the starting five will likely be Sebastian Telfair, Andre Roberson, Perry Jones III, Serge Ibaka, and Steven Adams.
If you don’t follow the Thunder closely, “Who?” was an acceptable response.
The bench will consist of Kendrick Perkins, Lance Thomas, Nick Collison, and whoever OKC calls up from its D-League affiliate.
As you can see, the roster currently lacks the necessary firepower to score points, let alone win games.
I could go on about how Perry Jones has an opportunity to step up (as he did last night) or how this is the perfect opportunity for Scott Brooks to silence the critics by drawing up brilliant sets that keep his team in the game (as he did last night). But that wouldn’t be fair to you. I’m not here to push BS, I’m here to give you my honest opinion and it wasn’t very hard to come to.
This is going to be bad. The Thunder are going to have to fight for every basket they score over the next few weeks and chances are they won’t score many. It’s going to be pretty hard to watch as a fan and to put it very bluntly, it’s going to suck.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in recent memory, the term “lottery pick” might actually be relevant for the Thunder this year.
Ok, take a deep breath. I know you’re probably already having a tough time with this whole situation and what I just said may have put you over the edge. I’m sorry for that but like I said, this is a no BS zone. There is a chance that the Thunder will not make the playoffs this year and we may just have to come to terms with that.
I don’t know if it’s because I am currently watching last year’s eight seed Dallas Mavericks throttle the Utah Jazz on League Pass archive but the more and more I think about the Thunder not making the playoffs, the more nervous I become.
By now everyone knows how strong the Western Conference is. I mean, last season the Phoenix Suns won 48 games and missed the playoffs. 48 GAMES! To make things worse, the conference only got stronger in the offseason. Dallas is now looking like a title contender with the additions of Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler, Phoenix added Isaiah Thomas to make their guard rotation even more devastating, and teams like the Clippers (Hawes), Warriors (Livingston), and Blazers (Kaman, Blake) have added nice veteran pieces to solidify their benches.
Assuming the Thunder don’t win many games during this stretch without Durant and Westbrook, it looks like they will be behind the eight ball when the duo return. They will likely have to fight and claw their way up the standings as the season progresses. Not to mention it may take some time for the stars to shake off the rust and re-acclimate themselves with their team.
The one positive I can think of at this moment? Things can only go up.
Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb will be revaluated today, and could be ready to go for Saturday’s game against Denver. Jackson would be a HUGE help. He has shown that he has the ability to run the offense and create for himself and teammates. If he is able to get back in the lineup it would be wise to expect some bigtime numbers from the third year guard out of Boston College and potentially some better performances from the Thunder team as a whole.
For now, the Thunder is in a state of limbo. Scott Brooks will attempt to piece together a successful game plan and the team will do their best to hustle their way to victory. They do still have Serge Ibaka who is apparently an elite three point shooter now, and that will help.
If there’s one thing I know about this team and its fans it is that they don’t give up. No matter what happens after Russ and KD return, it will seem like a nightmare until they do.
Wake me up when it’s over.