Last night the Thunder won their fourth game in a row, storming back to beat the Nets 114-112. Leading the charge was Paul George who finished the game with 47 points, 25 of which came in the 4th quarter. After starting the season 0-4, the Thunder have gone 16-3 and currently hold the second best record in the West at 16-7.
Who would've predicted this? None of the top 3 teams in the Western Conference are named the Warriors and the 9th and 10th seeded teams from last year are now #1 and #3. Granted, by the end of the season the Warriors will more than likely hold one of the top 3 spots, but let's just bask in this for a moment.
The Thunder, who were bounced in the first round last year by the Jazz, are steamrolling right now and they're only getting hotter. Russell Westbrook is yet again averaging a triple-double for the third-straight season and his backcourt buddy Paul George is having one of the best seasons of his career. New addition Dennis Schroder is fitting in nicely off the bench averaging 16 and 5, while Steven Adams continues to hold down the paint averaging a double-double.
Back in the summer I applauded Paul George on his decision to re-sign with the Thunder after many believed he was a one-year rental bound for LA. Many questioned his decision at the time, but all doubt should be put away now. George is thriving in OKC and is playing by far the best ball since his gruesome leg injury a few years back. Now with the Thunder performing at such a high level, he has managed to quietly enter the MVP conversation. Simply put, this is great to see. George appears to have returned to his high-flying play from his years with the Pacers after taking a short hiatus, settling for threes the past two seasons.
Honestly, it surprises me that the Thunder are playing so well right now. I understand its still relatively early in the season but the duo of Westbrook and George looks dangerous. I strongly believe their success together is a result of their chemistry with one another as George stated Westbrook as a reason for his decision to stay. This makes me wonder, did Durant and Westbrook ever got along? It was pretty obvious during Durant's final seasons in OKC that the two weren't co-existing. Many were quick to blame Westbrook, citing his poor-shot selection and unwillingness to let Durant do his thing, but now it looks otherwise.
Russell Westbrook has always been a competitor. Frankly, I believe he's one of the few real competitors left in the game; after all, both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have sung his praises over the years. Looking back at his years with Durant, the issue wasn't Westbrook's inbalilty to take a backseat, it was Durant's tendency to.
Although my relationship with Durant has tarnished since his move to the Warriors, I still respect him as a player and believe he is one of, if not the best, scorers of all-time. He is a freak of nature, a 7-footer who plays like a guard and when he's locked in he's good for an easy 40 piece. The issue with him, however, is he's not the alpha male and never has been. That's why he had to team-up with four other guys to get a ring.
The Thunder were at their best when Durant took control of the game and they were at their worst when Westbrook just ran iso-plays. This wasn't Westbrook's fault, however. Durant never consistently set the tone for the team, Westbrook did. Especially in his final year in OKC, Durant had a bad habit of sitting back and allowing the offense to run through Russ. As a result, Westbrook, being the competitor that he is, took the load that Durant too often refused to carry. This is proven this season as Westbrook has clearly shown his willingness to take a backseat to Paul George. Durant's failure during his time in OKC was of his own doing by not stamping his foot down and making the Thunder HIS team. 3 Years removed from his departure now, it is clear that Durant hasn't shown what it takes to lead a team to a title. Don't go and tell me how he's dominated games in the Finals with the Warriors. He's done that because the pressure wasn't on him like it was in OKC. He can shoot all he wants now because he has Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to fall back on. Back in 2012, I was so blinded by my love for Durant that I was ignorant to this as were all the other fans. When Westbrook went down in the playoffs during Durant's MVP year, Durant didn't will his team forward, he lost to the Tayshaun Prince Grizzlies.
Listen, Durant is an amazing player and has already solidified himself as one of the best players of all-time, but he gets too much slack. He is the embodiment of what is wrong with the NBA in terms of the "if you can't beat em, join em" mentality and his championships with the Warriors are fabricated. The reason the Thunder never won with him was because his relationship with Westbrook wasn't strong enough. Durant failed to match the heart and intensity his teammate brought each and every night and the players around him saw that. The success of Paul George and Russell Westbrook is a result of their bond that was built only one season ago. This chemistry is clearly reverberating to the rest of the team as all the role players around them are taking notice. The Thunder by no means have a bench that should be producing, yet they are. This is because Westbrook and George co-exist as leaders and have set the stage for success.
So, KD... Prove me wrong. This offseason I challenge you to leave the Warriors and take your talents to the Knicks. If you bring a ring to New York, you have proven yourself a worthy competitor.