Thunderous Intentions
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Five takeaways from the Thunder’s dominant win against the Warriors

By Tony Heim

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - NOVEMBER 22: Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder reacts as his team takes a commanding lead against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on November 22, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - NOVEMBER 22: Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder reacts as his team takes a commanding lead against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on November 22, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – NOVEMBER 22: Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder shoots over Omri Casspi #18 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on November 22, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – NOVEMBER 22: Russell Westbrook #0 of the OKC Thunder shoots over Omri Casspi #18 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half of a NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on November 22, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /

Again…Russell Westbrook needs to command the offense

This is the second time this season I’ve had to write this exact takeaway. What I said then still rings true:

"Oklahoma City was able to win 47 games last season with almost no shooting/spacing on the court. This offseason they added shooting while also improving their defense – theoretically they could play the exact same system and improve on their win total. Obviously Russ’ shouldn’t have the ball as much as last season, but he also shouldn’t give up the reigns of the offense as much as we first thought."

Russell Westbrook is the most polarizing player in the NBA. In a league where ball movement and spreading the floor reigns supreme, Westbrook and his teams find the most success when he almost single-handedly runs an offense. It’s simply the nature of his game.

Westbrook’s combination of pure athleticism, talent and sheer will is enough to win an NBA game on any given night. We saw it all of last year. We saw it again last night. The difference this year is that he has legitimate weapons around him to ease his burden and carry leads even when he’s off the floor.

The Warriors, one of the best defensive teams in the league, had no answer for Russ on Wednesday. He mercilessly attacked the rim – 14 of his 27 attempts came inside the paint. Russ still had his wild plays that resulted in terrible turnovers, but he coupled that with wild plays that resulted in easy buckets.

Thanksgiving Eve was the Westbrook we need to see every game if the Thunder want to seriously compete. Last year he proved he can beat NBA teams when the entire gameplan is to stop him. This year teams can’t solely focus on him or OKC’s two other All-Stars will eat.

Carmelo said it best earlier this season: “We came here for you.” They understand the immense talent that is Russell Westbrook. He is uber-talented. He is inconsistent. But he also wants to win more than virtually everybody else in the league.

I leave you with this: Oklahoma City is 2-0 when Westbrook has a usage rating of 36% or higher this season. Hmm.

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