2017-2018 Oklahoma City Thunder Preview: Russell Westbrook Got Help, And The Title Hopes Are Back


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2016-17 Record: 47-35

Players Added: Paul George (trade), Patrick Patterson (free agent), Raymond Felton (free agent), Terrance Ferguson (NBA Draft), Daniel Hamilton (free agent), Markel Brown (free agent), Rashawn Thomas (free agent), Bryce Alford (free agent), Isaiah Canaan (free agent), Carmelo Anthony (trade)

Players Lost: Victor Oladipo (trade), Domatas Sabonis (trade), Taj Gibson (free agent), Enes Kanter (trade), Doug McDermott (trade)

Projected Team MVP: Russell Westbrook

Paul George and Carmelo Anthony are superduperstars. However, neither of them are the reigning league MVP. This is a team that will go as Westbrook goes, just like it did last year, even if the MVP has two All-Stars as running mates now.

Even when Kevin Durant was in Oklahoma City, the heart and soul of this franchise is Westbrook, which is part of why the Thunder made him the highest-paid player in league history. While he won’t need to do nearly as much as he did last season, there’s no reason to think that Westbrook won’t be brilliant this year, even if he’s not going to average a triple-double again. (Well, he’s probably not going to average a triple-double again.)

The craziest thing is, Westbrook could be better this season, even if he doesn’t have the historically gaudy stats that he had last year to back that belief up. He will now be afforded the luxury of picking his spots offensively, he can take prolonged breaks that won’t leave him gassed late in the fourth quarter, and he can go “I’m having an off night, Melo and PG can pick up the slack.”

Of course, doing that would be so amazingly un-Westbrookian of him. But the possibility is there if he wants to pursue it, which is nice.
Team X-Factor: Steven Adams

The Thunder obviously believe in Adams, as evidenced by the fact that they gave him $100 million over four years when he signed an extension last offseason. He is the team’s defensive anchor, and will be tasked with cleaning up the glass and protecting the rim all season.

Like every team with a big three, the player whose job it is to tie everything together is the fourth-best player. That’s Adams, whose ability to be a menace in the paint on defense, score a little on offense, and set some of the most devastating screens in the league to free up Westbrook, George, and Anthony is crucial to what the Thunder want to do. He’s a really good basketball player, and while he won’t need to be the center of attention ever, he is massively important to Oklahoma City this season.

Best Case Scenario: A few years ago, the Thunder rode a big three of Westbrook, Durant, and James Harden to the NBA Finals, where they lost to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Miami Heat. The team’s best case scenario is that something similar happens again, only this time, the Thunder come out on top.

After another MVP-caliber performance by Westbrook, the Thunder make it to the postseason and get the chance to exercise a whole bunch of postseason demons. They roll past the Spurs in round one (the Spurs will not be bad enough to play Oklahoma City in the first round, but this is a hypothetical, so whatever), get revenge on the Rockets for last postseason in round two, and in the conference finals, the Thunder’s big three go punch-for-punch against the Warriors. The series is decided when Westbrook hits a shot with no time remaining in Game 7 to win the series. He hits said shot directly in Durant’s face and then eats a cupcake during his postgame press conference.

In the Finals, the Thunder ride their big three of Westbrook, George, and Anthony into a series against James, Wade, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Westbrook and George turn into an unstoppable 1-2 punch, while Anthony and Adams fill in whatever gaps pop up. Oklahoma City wins its first ring, and on the first day that he can, George signs a max extension with the Thunder.

Worst Case Scenario: About halfway through the season, it becomes evident that the George and Anthony experiments are just not working. With George on the verge of free agency, the Thunder make it a point to flip him, getting nowhere near enough back for a player of his caliber. The same thing happens to Anthony, who somehow strong-arms his way into joining the Cavaliers.

This leaves the Thunder back at square one — Westbrook is brilliant, Adams is Adams, and the rest of the team is up in the air. They’re still good enough to make it to the postseason, but unfortunately, it’s as the eight seed. This means a matchup with the Warriors, which is over from basically the opening tipoff of Game 1.

During the offseason, we learn that Westbrook is furious with how George and Anthony’s tenures ended in Oklahoma City. After a breakup that becomes messier and messier by the day, he’s traded to the Lakers for Lonzo Ball and Julius Randle.

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