OKC Thunder: Reason for optimism – top 5 takeaways from game 1 loss

More positives than negatives from night one:

Paul George was two different players on the evening. Take away the first half – throw it out the window. So, let’s focus on the second half when he began to light it up. Without Westbrook or his number one defensive partner (Roberson) PG is having to do much of the heavy lifting. In spite of that, isolating on the second half the signs are there that George will be back to the player I anticipated for most of last season.

More from Thunderous Intentions

• Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
• Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
• 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
• Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
• Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder

Reflecting back on the number of occasions I found myself watching games with clinched fists because George wasn’t showcasing himself as the player I was accustomed to. We’ve since learned he was dealing with a myriad of injuries that affected his shooting and ability to move.

I can’t stress enough the importance of what I’m about to say – this was Game 1 of 82. It’s not time to hit the panic button. Russell Westbrook will return and the fact Paul George looks (at least in my humble opinion) much more like himself bodes well for the squad. Couple that with the markedly better offense the reserve unit will produce with Schroder and (fingers crossed) Billy Donovan using his depth and there is every reason to believe this team is going to vie for a top seed.

Recalling season start of a year ago the Memphis Grizzlies burst out of the gates with a  5-1 record. They won just 17 additional times to finish with a 22-60 record. Similarly, the Orlando Magic jumped out to an 8-4 record then plummeted winning just 17 games in their final 70 games.

The moral of this story is one game does not a season make. Instead consider the season in three sections. The first 27 games marks the period teams find their rhythm and develop an identity. In the second approximately 30 games teams test their durability, ride the period of winter fatigue and try to build a cushion heading into the break. And the final post break segment is the time for tweaking what needs to be fixed and most importantly building the perfect momentum heading into the postseason.

Golden State will likely take the top seed in the Conference (potentially of all 30 teams), so the fact OKC was even in this game speaks to their potential. A road win would’ve been great. But, I’m buoyed be the minor tweaks which could’ve tilted this match in OKC’s favor — without Westbrook on the court. That, and that alone is what I’m choosing to focus on.