The Oklahoma City Thunder are about to fall out of the playoffs, in the first round, for the third year in a row. Last year, they lost to a rookie-led Jazz squad that featured Joe Ingles as a leading scorer. This year, they are about to lose to a lesser talented Blazers team after vowing change from the year before. What is happening? Why is this happening? What do they do next? All those answers have to do with Russell Westbrook.
Following the 2016 NBA Season, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were primed to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to NBA Title contention for many years to come. Two stars, both in their primes; the only threat to consistent title aspirations was the impending free agency of Durant. As we already know, Durant chose the Warriors that summer and Westbrook was left alone on a Thunder squad that was devoid of star power. The Thunder and it’s fans were left reeling after Durant’s decision and needed something (or someone) to fill the void left by his departure. Westbrook filled that void, and then some. The following season, Westbrook would go on to win the Most Valuable Player award for an OKC team and city that needed him more than ever. He provided the city with excitement and optimism for the future. He became the face of Jordan Brand’s “Now I do what I want” campaign. He averaged a triple double for the entire season…. I’m sorry, I am not sure if you caught that. Please read that triple double sentence again, because it is so amazing. He averaged a freaking triple double for an entire season. Only one player EVER has done that other than him. He became one of faces of the entire NBA. He became the centerpiece of the franchise and the backbone of an entire city.
That year, the Thunder lost the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. No one blamed Westbrook because, how could you? He had no help. He was literally doing it all alone. Westbrook averaged 37.4 PPG, 11.6 REB, and 10.8 AST for the series. The next highest scorer? ANDRE ROBERSON who averaged 11.6 PPG. Westbrook was amazing, but he needed help. He could not do it all alone. Thunder General Manager, Sam Presti, made sure that he changed that moving forward.
The summer of 2017 was a busy one for the Thunder. Presti traded for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. Two “stars” (sorry, Melo) who would help the Thunder get back to having Championship aspirations. They also signed Westbrook to a MASSIVE contract extension. Westbrook signed a five year contract extension wroth 205 Million dollars to stay with OKC through the 2022-23 season. At the time, it made his contract the largest total contract in NBA history. The Thunder seemed to be heading in the right direction, with it’s MVP locked in for many years to come, star power to complement him, and the city behind them. What happened?
That summer could be argued as the peak of the Westbrook experience: Accolades, national recognition, and unfinished promise. That last statistical year, 2016-2017, was one of the most impressive ever recorded in NBA History but, it could be argued, that it doomed Westbrook and the Thunder. His playing style that year fit his Jordan Brand campaign perfectly (“Now I do what I want”), and has not changed since. Westbrook thrived, individually, as the only star on his team. Although he won the MVP, and helped a city heal after Durant left, his team did not do much impactful winning that year. Much of this had to do with the lack of talent around him. Now? It has to do primarily with him. Westbrook’s style of play did not change once Presti put more talent around him. He continued to live out his Jordan campaign dreams and do whatever he wanted on the basketball court, but not in a good way. He played, and continues to play, a selfish brand of basketball that emphasizes his individual star power over team success. This holds true, even now, within his current playoff series, Thunder vs. Blazers. The main story of this series has been the trash talk and rivalry between Westbrook and Damian Lillard, the Blazers star Point Guard. It has made national news with both players going back and forth on the court. But if you look deeper into this “rivalry,” you will see the true battle. While Westbrook seems to scream and talk trash with every possession that he scores, Lillard has erupted on the Thunder as a team and has not said more than a few words to Westbrook. While the media makes it seem like a rivalry, this is not one. Westbrook is continuing his individualistic behavior and is making a show of attempting to beat Lillard, instead of attempting to do what is best for his team to win. While Westbrook sees this as Russ vs. Dame, Dame see this as the Blazers vs. The Thunder.
By putting your hopes in a player who values his individual accomplishments over his team’s success, Sam Presti is guaranteeing himself no championship aspirations. The thing he set out to bring back to OKC, his star is currently taking away from him. The man who has become the face of an entire city, is only ever going to be able to bring them to the first round of the playoffs and nothing more. Which leads to my point: If the Thunder truly desire to win championships, they must trade Russell Westbrook and this summer is the time to do it.
Westbrook is 30 years old. His athleticism is still elite, but declining. At this point, if Presti decided to make the move, he could at least get a dollar for a dollar. Some teams in the league would be willing to take on the contract and talent of Westbrook, even at full price. Because of the impact Westbrook has on the city, this could never be done publicly. Presti must at least make some calls over the summer though, right? His team is financially tied to a few players for huge contracts (Adams 20 Million, Schroeder 17 Million, George 30 Million, Westbrook 30 Million), and they need relief. Shredding that Westbrook contract for good young players could be the semi-rebuild that the team could use to contend at the same level, but set itself up for the future. Maybe a package of Lonzo and Kuzma for Westbrook? Maybe the Knicks give up the first pick? I’m not sure what his value would be, but I know the trade needs to get done. If Sam Presti truly wants to bring a Championship to OKC, he must trade the city’s savior.