Patience is the word of the moment in the NBA. The opening weeks are a transition time for nearly every team trying to figure things out on the court. And no team has more at stake in these opening weeks than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Russell Westbrook‘s vessel for domination looks very different this year, with Paul George and Carmelo Anthony on the roster. It’s a big transition for the Thunder, and especially for Westbrook, who had to do it all last season to the tune of historic numbers.
But Anthony isn’t worried about how the trio will shake out. In fact, he’s told Westbrook that he wants him playing close to how he played last season when he set the league on fire.
Anthony told ESPN’s Royce Young that he wants the superstar point guard to be himself for the Thunder, and that he and George will “fit in” however they need to.
“We came here for you,” Anthony said he told Westbrook. “We came here because we believe in what you can do and what you bring to the game, and we don’t want you to stop doing that. We want you to be that player, we want you to be that person, and we’ll fit in.”
Zach Lowe notes that the team isn’t playing poorly. In fact, they just desperately need a fifth in the rotation that can join Steven Adams and make that unit cohesive.
Everyone continues to say the right things in Oklahoma City, which is a good sign that they truly do feel like they’re getting somewhere with chemistry. There’s a lot of potential. It’s just going to take some time, is all.
