OKC Thunder 2017-18 journey begins – OK3 in 6:41

It took precisely six minutes and 41 seconds of the OK3 simultaneously on the court for OKC Thunder fans to capture a glimmer of what the trio could become.

As OKC Thunder trio Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony begin this journey they know it will be fraught with doubters and critics. How well they are able to block out the noise and stick to their mission will ultimately determine their success.

October 7th for the OKC Thunder may not go down in history as a watershed moment, yet it will resonate for the OK3 and fans of Thunder Nation.

That’s because the newly formulated Big 3 took to the court together competitively for the first time. Since the trades which brought George and Anthony to OKC, fans eagerly awaited the moment the trio would collectively hit the hardwood to play.

One PRP injection later and that event got delayed. Russell Westbrook participated with Paul and George at the Blue and White scrimmage shoot around but sat on the bench during the game. In the preseason opener, again Westbrook was not cleared to play.

When news surfaced he went through a full practice Thursday (Oct. 6) speculation he would dress for the Pelicans match began to build.  A few hours before game time Friday, speculation turned to reality as the team announced Westbrook would indeed start, albeit on a minutes restriction.

In the grand scheme of things, Westbrook missed just a single preseason game. Yet, excitement over the retooled OKC Thunder made the moment seem exceedingly overdue. Perhaps this was partially due to criticism of the team and specifically the trio faced before playing a single minute together.

Losing the preseason opener only served to add fuel to predictions the team would implode. Pundits opined there was no way these three superstars each tasked with carrying their respective teams previously could summon a Tim Gunn moment and “make it work“.  Amid the maelstrom of debate, it’s likely the trio was just as anxious to take the first step of their journey.

Glass half empty:

Although there were optimists they were drowned out by the ever-growing number of pessimists who declared Westbrook’s departure was imminent. Why else would he take so long to sign his extension? Others declared shot distribution would never be resolved to any of the trio’s liking.

Moreover, the same critics openly ignored Westbrook’s workload declaring him a poor defender. Surely Westbrook should’ve been able to be Kawhi-like defensively while averaging a triple-double and winning the scoring title right? So, the only feasible answer was he must be a poor defender.

These ongoing arguments all led to the same conclusion – the trio and team would not succeed and as a result the coming season would simply become an exercise in futility.

A week ago when Westbrook removed the question of his commitment by signing his extension it did little to drown out the noise.  A brand new set of negative narratives flowed. In spite of George’s continual optimism, nothing he said could assuage the neigh sayers.

Rockets loss fueled the fodder:

The loss to Houston only served to convince analysts and scribes the OKC Thunder weren’t on the same level as the Rockets. Never mind the Thunder were missing what likely equates to three of their top seven players (Westbrook, Patterson, Abrines).

As I pointed out in the Pelican’s game preview that’s the equivalent of James Harden, Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker being out for the Rockets. Consider the effect not having those three Rockets available to face a fully healthy Thunder squad would produce.

Undaunted, however, the new tangent for scribes became how the OKC Thunder were the team most likely to flop. Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated has close to zero faith in the OK3.

"But there are still a bunch of open questions. Is Westbrook wired to balance his own exceptional scoring and playmaking with the pure distributing skills that are needed to fully involve George and Anthony? Is Anthony willing to scale back his ball-stopping and turn up his defensive intensity in a new role? Is George, who openly demanded every important shot in the 2017 playoffs for Indiana, willing to regularly take a backseat in crunch time? Can these three talented scorers find ways to make each other, and their limited supporting cast, better? Or, do their skills prove to be redundant enough to hold back Oklahoma City’s overall offensive efficiency?"

Cherry Picking Stats:

Golliver also looked at the issues facing Chris Paul and James Harden in Houston. Although this article offered a balanced argument, there are some curious points made to support the predicted success of the duo which weren’t applied equally for Westbrook and his new triad.

Specifically, Golliver pointed to the Rockets backcourt being indispensable offensively. He cited the benefits Houston now has since D’Antoni can stagger their minutes with the reserves.

"Consider: The burden that’s faced Harden and Paul in recent years isn’t just about touches, dribbles and workload, it’s about their indispensability. Throughout Harden’s tenure in Houston and Paul’s tenure in LA, their respective offenses have shown a drastic decline whenever they leave the court. While this is a common and expected trend among stars, the degree to the drop-off is staggering in these two cases and both organizations have suffered from depth and predictability issues during the playoffs."

More concerning is why Golliver didn’t examine indispensability from the standpoint of holding leads. Or why he believes this factor will help Houston but hurt OKC. A look at the 5 players in question points to this being a greater advantage for OKC given Westbrook and George’s squads suffered greater offensive dips when they sat.

Dive into the effect each players’ teams experienced from a net rating and Golliver’s argument is somewhat perplexing since the Rockets were a net positive when Harden sat. Not surprisingly OKC experienced the worst net differential when Westbrook sat with George again a close second.

OK3 Dilemma:

Understandably a few positive articles surfaced following the trio’s debut. And, with Australia’s Melbourne United on tap, there is an opportunity to build further offensive chemistry. Should that occur watch for articles with sudden glowing words from the same pundits who predicted OKC’s certain collapse.

At least for the OK3, they know the negative narrative is likely to continue, especially for George. Regardless of how often he tries to palliate the media, he’ll endure a season of “he’s leaving” every time the Thunder suffer a loss or setback.

The best thing the trio can do is put blinders on and focus on their goal. All three are desirous of team success, but they also have a personal objective. Primarily, that they are capable of functioning with another star and in this case two stars. Paradoxically, what no one seems to be discussing is all three have experienced varying degrees of carrying a team virtually without help or at least an equivalent talent. Nor have scribes considered the reason Melo, PG, and Russ took so many shots particularly in clutch situations.

It can be stated in one word – TRUST. Each of the triad (especially Westbrook) sought another reliable source.  When none arose it’s likely each star felt responsible to make it work.  As a unit that may be the greatest gift they can offer one another – the ability to trust, knowing each has delivered under pressure.

Aside from turning a blind eye, the best thing the three superstars can do is utilize the negativity as motivation.

Changing the narrative:

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As the trio navigates the path, there are sure to be challenges and down moments. The difference this time is they have each other to lean on. Already there is a clear delineation of the roles each star will assume. Westbrook has never been a fan of dealing with the media throng and Anthony has dealt with more than his fair share in the Mecca.

So, it appears George has assumed the spokesperson role. Although all three will play an active part in nurturing and leading there are clear signs Anthony is mentoring his younger teammates both on and off the floor.

As for Westbrook – well he’s Russ, which means he’ll pretend he’s oblivious to the claims he won’t be able to spearhead the trio’s success or that he can’t defend.  But, we all know better – he’s driven to prove those critics wrong and will use the constant fodder as motivation. Why? Well, that’s what he does. Wait, I’ll put on my Brodie hat and give you the more appropriate retort – Why Not?

Navigating criticism isn’t easy, but it’s something Anthony and Westbrook, in particular, are all too familiar with. The common bond each of the OK3 shares is winning and perhaps an underlying need to prove the masses wrong. To wit, winning a championship isn’t easy, nor is changing the narrative once written.

For now, the triad are driven by their mutual desire to succeed and ultimately capture a title as a unit.  Yet, with years of doubters and critics eagerly anticipating a reason to claim “I told you so”, they’ll need to revel in the small successes – even if it comes six minutes and 41 seconds at a time.