The fascinating unknown of the OKC Thunder
The best times in life are the unexpected ones; sports are no different.
The Oklahoma City Thunder bandwagon has plenty of good seats still available. Many “fans” left the franchise earlier this month, holding hands with Kevin Durant and making their way to the Bay Area or elsewhere.
While most have abandoned the bandwagon in search of a team that can compete for a championship (Spoiler: there are only two teams), the fans that are still around are excited, and a little bit nervous, about the future in Oklahoma City.
Any talk of the future in OKC begins with Russell Westbrook. The fierce point guard’s name has been linked to trade rumors less than a day after Durant’s departure. Some reports said, “he could be traded sooner rather than later.” Other reports stated, “Westbrook loves this team and wants to prove doubters wrong.” It appears that Westbrook has no intention of signing an extension with the Thunder, meaning he’ll become a free agent after this season.
OKC can not afford to lose Durant and Westbrook in back-to-back seasons for nothing. Only Sam Presti knows what he’s going to do with Westbrook. Maybe the OKC superstar has given Presti some sort of indication that he’s willing to stay beyond the year. Maybe he hasn’t. If he hasn’t, Presti is wise to explore trade options, if he doesn’t quite pull the trigger.
The Westbrook situation is fascinating because it changes by the day. Fans are hopeful that he stays, but intrigued by the possible trade scenarios. A season of Vengeful Westbrook is must-see TV. A season without Westbrook isn’t quite as fun, but immediately makes next off season less agonizing.
Assuming Westbrook stays, OKC becomes an intriguing team. They aren’t a championship contender (remember, only two teams are), but they are interesting and worth following during the regular season. We’ve seen how a Westbrook led team fares. His numbers are off the charts, but the win totals are less than desirable.
But that was a different Westbrook with a different team and a different coach. This Westbrook can thrive under Donovan, a coach who understands the importance of point guard play and spacing. Donovan and Westbrook won’t have Durant to fall back on, but that also means they won’t have Durant to placate.
Presti has built a solid team around Westbrook. Victor Oladipo is a two-way guard and the best shooting guard the team has had since James Harden. Steven Adams and Enes Kanter are pick and roll monsters. Anthony Morrow is a proven shooter who should see a big increase in playing time. Ersan Ilyasova will provide extra spacing as a stretch four. Cameron Payne should improve in his sophomore season. Donovan figured out how to utilize Andre Roberson in the playoffs, making him less of a liability on offense. Josh Huestis and Mitch McGary could play bigger roles on the team.
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Then there’s Alex Abrines, the Thunder’s 2013 draft and stash prospect who will be making his NBA debut this year. Abrines is a lengthy knockdown shooter. He’s not Durant, but if you put him in one corner, Morrow in the other, Ilyasova roaming, and Adams setting a pick; Russ has every option at his disposal.
The lack of Durant will force Donovan to get creative, which means we should see something we’ve never seen as Thunder fans. That’s exciting.
If Westbrook is traded, a lot will depend on who comes back in the deal. While a Westbrook trade would almost guarantee a non-playoff season for OKC, it would begin a rebuilding process that never really ends for Presti, who covets young players and high draft picks. A trade would open up the door for Payne, Oladipo, Abrines, Kanter and Adams to grow as a group. It would be painful watching the team without Durant, Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka, but that core never won a title.
There are plenty of reasons at to why they didn’t deliver a championship to OKC (some valid, others not), but the fact still remains that those three never got it done. Will the group of Payne, Oladipo, Abrines, Kanter, and Adams ever win a title? It doesn’t seem likely considering that Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka couldn’t get it done. But four years ago, did anyone expect the Golden State Warriors to turn into the best team in regular season history?
Thunder fans must remember that Billy Donovan is a good coach, Sam Presti is one of the best general manager’s in the league, and the Thunder scouting and development staff has a proven track record of finding and grooming young talent.
Sports are a constant process. Half the fun is watching that process play out, even if it’s extremely painful at times. These next few years might be painful for Thunder fans, but the future looks promising.