It was a good day to be inside watching the Thunder beat the Utah Jazz for the second time in two weeks. The weather outside was a cold, drizzly mix which made it a perfect day to enjoy a Thunder win over a playoff team. Granted, Gobert and Favors didn’t play at all, but still there were some encouraging signs at what this Thunder ‘could’ still possibly become if they can steer clear of anymore injury downtime to key players.
Russell Westbrook. Our once Bad Little Dude now turned Kobe registered his 32nd triple double of the season and Wilt is now in his rear view mirror. With sixteen regular season games remaining, Russell needs nine more triples to tie Oscar, ten more to pass him. OKC has seven home games remaining–so you’d think those seven are doable from an assist standpoint given the disparity on how this team plays on the road. Three of the road games are certainly promising triples given they’re going to be played in Brooklyn, Phoenix, and Orlando. So, I’d say he has a real chance if his teammates make their open looks.
What a difference Victor Oladipo makes for this team. Let’s call him Bad Little Dude II for the time being. Oladipo was wonderful in this game as he scored 22 points and made his threes. In these two games since his return, the Thunder are 2-0 versus top four teams in the West and Oladipo is a combined 7-11 shooting threes. But it’s more than just shooting. He’s a complete two zone basketball player who can help this team in various nuance ways. A good sign–Oladipo played 38 minutes in this game and led the Thunder in minutes played. I would expect heavy minutes from BLD II as we get near the playoffs. Heavy minutes because of what he needs to be for this team to beat a Utah, a Houston, a San Antonio, or even now a very much struggling Oakland AAU Super Team.
Taj Gibson. Let’s talk Taj Gibson. I thought he was equally wonderful in this ball game. He scored 15 points, was efficient with his opportunities and there’s that vet physicality he provides which Domas Sabonis can’t yet provide because he seriously needs to hit the weight room this summer. In hockey, it’s called commanding your ice space. In basketball, it’s called commanding your floor space. Taj Gibson commands his floor space– kind of like Perk, only Taj can catch the ball and actually shoot when he needs to. It appears he and Russell are beginning to understand where his offensive sweet spots are how to get him to be an effective contributor to the offense.
It appears for the time being Semaj Christon is once gain the backup point guard as Norris Cole was DNP for the second straight game. My thoughts on this are obvious, I don’t want either one of them on the floor in the playoffs if Donovan can stagger Russ and Victor in such a manner. We’ll see. I hope neither has to play much though.
OKC is now 25-9 at home this season, 12-20 on the road. You can’t do much in the playoffs if you can’t win on the road. OKC’s final nine road games are all winnable if some players not named Westbrook step up and grow up. Six of the nine road games are against sub .500 teams.
Here’s what I’m saying, it’s time for Oladipo, Adams, Kanter, Gibson, and Roberson to become road warriors and grow up as NBA players.
Step up and grow up. That’s the Thunder mantra on Tuesday night as the Thunder play the Russian owned Brooklyn Nets. Don’t think I’m not going to spin some Trump-Russian shit in that one.
Winning is fun. Let’s go Thunder!
My favorite Westbrook interview. Family is everything.
My son named his lab Perk, so I still think of Perk the basketball player quite often actually. I miss him. He was fun. Here’s Perk the player as a pup with good knees.