After early-season struggles that had everyone wondering whether Oklahoma City should pull the plug on their Big 3 experiment, the Thunder have started to find their groove lately, winning seven of their last 10 games and just generally looking more comfortable with one another on the court.
With the February trade deadline fast approaching, it couldn’t have come at a better time. OKC is still very much at risk to lose Paul George, who will enter unrestricted free agency next summer, if the team doesn’t show significant progress toward being able to compete with the other elite teams in the Western Conference, namely the Warriors.
Fortunately for Thunder fans, George tried to quell some of those concerns on Wednesday, offering assurances that this is not simply a “championship or bust” season and expressing a willingness to make a long-term commitment to the organization if he believes things are headed in the right direction.
Via ESPN:
“I’ve got a lot to think about,” George told ESPN prior to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. “This summer will be huge. I’ve got a lot to think about. If we’re trending, if we’re going in the right direction, if I feel there is something that we’re building, and there’s a foundation, it would be kind of clueless, just stupid on my behalf to up and leave.
“I’m very conscious that we’re only together for a year so far, and we continue to go in an upward trend. It’s best to stick with what we have and work on building. So, I wouldn’t say it’s championship or bust, or championship and I’m out. It’s all about building. If I like where we’re building or the level that we’re going at, it would be stupid to walk away from that.”
George’s comments should alleviate some of the pressure Russell Westbrook is apparently putting on himself and the team. When reporters asked Russ about how he might pitch George on a future with the franchise, he responded by saying an NBA title is all the sales pitch he’ll need. Obviously, that’s Westbrook’s goal every season, but it’d be helpful to temper the expectations a bit.
His statement was prescient, of course, given that the Thunder were in Los Angeles to play the Lakers on Wednesday night, as George has made no secret in the past about his desire to one day play for his hometown team. In the meantime, OKC was simply trying to get back against a squad that is just 1-9 in its last 10 games.
(ESPN)
