If the 2014-15 season didn’t say all that needed to be about the on- and off-court relationship between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the former did the previous spring.
During one portion of his highly emotional MVP acceptance speech in May 2014, Durant thanked each of his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates for helping him reach those exalted heights. Just when it seemed he may have overlooked a certain player and indirectly summoned the always looming media maelstrom surrounding the Thunder’s notoriously intense franchise cornerstones, Durant, through tears, began to speak more glowingly of Westbrook than even the most optimistic Oklahoma City fans could have anticipated.
“I know you guys think I forgot Russ. I can speak all night about Russell,” he said. “An emotional guy who will run through a wall for me. I don’t take him for granted.
“There’s days, I just want to tackle you and tell you to snap out of it sometimes, but I know there are days that you want to do the same to me. I love you, man, I love you. A lot of people put unfair criticism on you as a player. I’m the first to have your back through it all. Stay the person you are, everybody loves you here. I love you… You’re an MVP caliber player. It’s a blessing to play with you.”
Those words were enough to quell the long-standing chatter of whether or not Durant and Westbrook would be better off alone as opposed to together. And if Serge Ibaka hadn’t injured his calf and been able to play for the ongoing postseason’s entirety, questions of the superstar pair’s ability to coexist might have been deemed moot altogether – championships have a way of fixing perceived problems for good.
But the Thunder couldn’t quite keep up with the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs absent Ibaka’s supreme defensive impact, and Durant’s injury-plagued following season – combined with Westbrook’s mind-blowing production in a solo act – has made many wonder again about the viability of basketball’s premier tandem. Those murmurs will grow louder by the day, too, as the game’s premier scorer readies for his first foray into unrestricted free agency next summer, one that’s likely to precede Westbrook’s open market availability one year later.
Not much has changed on the surface; Durant and Westbrook are still cut from the same cloth of basketball style that led to this concern in the first place. Wouldn’t Durant’s incredible talent be most benefited by playing with a pass-first floor general? And conversely, wouldn’t Westbrook be best suited as the alpha dog on his “own” team instead of sharing the load with another elite playmaker?
It’s always been assumed that Durant could lead to a team to the promised by himself, too. But Westbrook’s near-MVP win last season with the reigning award-winner sidelined showed just how dominant he could be as a squad’s primary offensive option, throwing additional fuel on the fire of those who have long believed the two are mismatched as a duo.
But that take is confirmation bias more than anything else. It’s easy to forget that Oklahoma City seemed bound for another NBA Finals appearance before Westbrook was lost for the playoffs with a torn meniscus in April 2013. Remember Durant’s playoff performance without the aid of his trusty sidekick? Though he averaged 28.8 points in a five-game loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Conference Semifinals, he shot only 42.1 percent from the field and committed over four turnovers per game. And though Westbrook’s statistical production sans Durant last year was incredibly impressive, it didn’t translate to the kind of team success the Thunder are accustomed – they missed out on the postseason for the first time in five seasons, after all.
The Oklahoman‘s Darnell Mayberry penned a retrospective of sorts on the kinship between the stars of the bible belt. It discounts reports of tension involving Durant and Westbrook, and casually brushes aside the ballyhooed occasion when the pair nearly came to on-court blows during a 2011-2012 tilt against the Grizzlies. The story would have you believe that the two have overcome past differences and are preparing for bigger and better things as the most important season in franchise history dawns.
It’s a sunny story, certainly, and conveniently ignores the specter of Durant’s impending free agency. On the other hand, Mayberry’s piece serves as a useful reminder of just how much Durant and Westbrook have overcome in the past several years to not just increase their individual place in the league hierarchy, but also keep Oklahoma City on the short-list of the most realistic championship contenders.
Though the Thunder are obvious favorites, there’s no telling for sure which team will emerge as the winner of July’s sweepstakes for the biggest free agent since LeBron James in 2010. Durant’s hometown Washington Wizards will roll out the red carpet, and the league’s glamor franchises are still situated to capitalize on their historical success and geographical advantages by finally landing a big fish. It definitely bears mentioning that the performance of Oklahoma City coach Bill Donovan in his first year on an NBA bench will prove influential, too.
What’s become increasingly clear, however, is that the presence of Westbrook will be an advantage for the Thunder that competing teams just don’t have. Not only is he one of the several best players in basketball, but also a trusted, time-honored friend and teammate of Durant that other prospective running mates may not be. With Westbrook, Oklahoma City is a known commodity for the the four-time scoring champion; he won’t be able to say the same for any other franchise when the time to make a decision finally comes.
And if the Thunder can finally avoid the injury bug in 2015-16, Durant’s choice could come just weeks after he and Westbrook have led Oklahoma City to its first championship in franchise history.
[Via the Oklahoman]
