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OKC Thunder: The Rich List: Edition Four

By Rich Condon

January 18, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0, right) dunks the basketball past Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 121-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 18, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0, right) dunks the basketball past Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 121-100. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 17, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 17, 2017; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /

Kawhi Leonard:

I don’t remember the last time The Claw has scored under 30 points in a game. In three victories this week, including an amazing comeback against the reigning NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, Leonard averaged 36.3 points, good for 2nd in the NBA,  on 56.5% from the field, 43.8% from deep, 96% from the line. And this was a guy who couldn’t shoot when he got drafted. Leonard added 7 boards, and nearly 5 assists a night. He does all this whilst locking up the opponent’s best player night in and night out.

Kawhi and Lebron is my favorite rivalry in the NBA that nobody seems to talk about. Both of them show up every time they play each other ever since Kawhi broke out by locking Lebron down en route to the 2014 NBA Finals MVP.

If it were any other year, Kawhi Leonard would be running away with the MVP.

Karl-Anthony Towns:

The Big KAT is rolling. The TimberPups were 2-1 this week, including a 7 point loss to the Spurs during which Minnesota was winning for large stretches of the game. Towns put up gaudy numbers this week: 32 points a night, good for third in the NBA this week, on 65.6% from the floor, 75% from deep (take that with a grain of salt as he only averaged 1.3 triples a night), and 86.7% from the line. He chipped in 13.3 rebounds a night, good for sixth in the NBA, and added nearly 2 blocks a game in addition to 4 assists a game.

We all may have expected too much too soon from the youngest roster in the league when they hired Tom Thibedeau over the summer, but Minnesota is starting to take shape out West, and Towns is at the center of that.

Rudy Gobert:

The Stifle Tower is having a breakout campaign to remember. The Jazz went 3-0 for the second straight week, and Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward are Utah’s Batman and Robin. Gobert nearly averaged a 20 20 for the week, behind 21 points on 71% from the floor and a league leading 17.7 rebounds a night, in addition to 2.3 blocks a game, which was good for 5th in the NBA this week.

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