The game went about the way I thought it would with Cleveland finally creating separation at the end and overwhelming the Thunder by a score of 107-91. Even with Enes Kanter, this would have been an extremely challenging road game, but without his 15 points a game it was a virtual uphill climb. OKC doesn’t have enough scoring depth to shed 15 points a game from their offensive production and moving forward this will be interesting to see where points come from against lesser opponents other than Golden State, Cleveland, and San Antonio. I mean, let’s be candid here–the NBA is currently a two or three team league with the rest just being filler.
In all candor heading into this game there’s no way I would have taken OKC and ten points on the road minus Kanter. So–I expected this and am relatively calm about the game.
Russell Westbrook triple doubled for the 24th time this season. It read 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. But it took twenty-six shots to get the twenty points. In defense of Westbrook, there’s just not enough punch on this team if the Thunder have to spread Oladipo and Adams around to compensate for the loss of Kanter’s production. Oladipo had 17 points, Adams had 7 points- combine that with Westbrook’s points and it simply means OKC’s top three players scored 44 points combined. That simply won’t get it done.
OKC drops to 28-20 overall and 7-7 in January. The January mark doesn’t concern me all that much, OKC’s offensive bench production without Kanter does. Billy Donovan is going to have to figure some things out–namely how to get as much offense possible out of Sabonis, Lauvergne, Payne, Abrines, and Roberson. But again, I wouldn’t knee jerk because we already knew even with Kanter this Thunder team as presently constructed is not a championship contender.
Frustrating to see OKC go through this additional hurdle because one of the top four players on the team basically fractured his own arm in a gesture of immaturity and stupidity. If I’m Russell Westbrook and now twenty-nine years of age with only one more year of contractual obligation to Oklahoma City left before his option out year, I’m not all impressed with the fact Adams, Oladipo, and now Kanter have all missed significant games this season.
Russell Westbrook needs some help and it’s even worse with 17.5 million of payroll sitting with a self inflicted broken arm. Ironic, that the team which could use Westbrook the most to enter the immediate elite realm of the Warriors and Cavs is the Thunder’s next opponent on Tuesday night in San Antonio.