With Paul George scoring a Thunder career best 42 points, the OKC Thunder won their first game of the season over a Western Conference team by beating the LA Clippers 120-111 inside Chesapeake Energy Arena. This is the Paul George… Thunder fans have been thirsting for ever since his airport arrival this summer brought him to Oklahoma City in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domas Sabonis. This is the big dog every OKC fan wants to see wag his finger at Kevin Durant in eleven days (who’s counting) when the Warriors visit the Peake and say, “Not in my house, Cupcake. Not in my house.”
So maybe, just maybe, this is the beginning of what we thought this could be for this Super Team of Dysfunction twelve games in. One would think or hope following the loss to Denver, that there was stone cold silence in that post game team meeting until Paul George stepped forward, then said to Russell Westbrook, ” I can’t help you unless I touch the fucking ball. Pass the ball.”
From what I’ve seen twelve games in, this is something Russell Westbrook is going to have overcome if this Thunder team truly wants to contend for a championship. Russell Westbrook is going to have to understand there’s a fine line balance between being the reigning MVP versus feeding the two new big dogs Sam Presti has put at his disposal.
I think it’s that simple because I think the role players on this team will figure out what they have to be every night. The question is if the guy I used to lovingly call Wild Thing or Bad Little Dude (BLD) can come to terms with the morphing of his game to a championship level or just be happy being the millennials’ version of Allen Iverson.
So the question for Russell Westbrook is how bad do you want to beat the Warriors and ascend to a championship? How much of your game are you willing to morph to feed the Big Dogs, yet remain assertive enough as you were in the first period of this win over the Clippers?
Clearly, this was Paul George’s game, but Westbrook set the tone early with his energy by getting to the rim and more importantly, the free throw line. This Westbrook looked much more like Mo Cheeks of the ’83 Sixers than anything yet I’ve seen from BLD this season.
Russell, please listen, I love you. I love what you’ve meant to this city. Truth is, this blog wouldn’t be here if you weren’t still here. But the dysfunction has to stop. Even Kobe knew when it was time for Big Shot Bob Horry (see millennials scratching heads…wtf Bob Horry) to have the ball in his hands. Do your thing when it’s there, when it’s not let the Big Dogs run. I repeat, make sure the Big Dogs run. That’s what your teammates, your coach, and your city knows you have to do in order to win a ring at some point in your career.
Steven Adams was a scratch in this game and Dakari Johnson got the start… he played well against Deandre Jordan. He’s another nice piece at Billy Donovan’s disposal on nights when Steven can’t go or the opponent isn’t playing small. He has a nice court presence and is a surprisingly good passer with a feel for the game.
Other than that-I’m ready to move on to Game 13.
So…twelve games in and this aspirant Super Team stands 5-7 after beating the Clippers in a game they had to have or else the wheels would have become even more wobbly. Evidently, Paul George looked into Russell Westbrook’s eyes and his eyes told Westbrook he’d go that mile with him if only he could touch the ball more than once in the fourth period.
I know, it’s only one game and bad habits die hard, just ask Nature Boy Ric Flair, but on this November night in Oklahoma City, the Thunder as a team worked their way thru the darkness and saw a sliver of light emanating inside Chesapeake Energy Arena. On this night, Russell Westbrook saw the light and his team followed. Funny how that works.
Dallas Mavs inside the Peake for a Sunday night game.
In case you missed the ESPN 30/30 film Nature Boy, you should make sure and see it. I don’t follow pro wrestling, but this film was incredible. Had me from start to finish. Watch this for one second and look at me with a straight face and tell me Donald Trump didn’t in part create his own politician-wrestler character with more than a touch of Ric Flair attached.
LET’S GO THUNDER! Wooo!