Russell Westbrook sitting out the season opener against the Golden State Warriors in no way inspired me. I’d much rather the Thunder organization and Russell take rest games during the season when the Thunder are playing teams like the Kings or maybe the Nets or a bottom dweller which Dennis Schroeder can handle without Westbrook. I’m also vexed as to why Russell’s minor cleanup surgery wasn’t done earlier in the off season. It’s not like OKC played deep into March or anything with another first round exit.
Westbrook in no way is a malingerer. He seldom misses games. He’s a tough kid. It just puzzles me the procedure wasn’t done in the summer.
I mean I was looking for some urgency to get this Thunder season underway considering this organization fielded the most disappointing, overpaid team in the NBA last season. This was an organization which finished 17 games behind the Houston Rockets in the loss column last season and was never really in contention to threaten for a top two seed in the West.
Meanwhile in Houston, I noticed Harden, Chris Paul, and Carmelo were at the Astros-Red Sox game. That’s cool because their team wasn’t playing yesterday.
Plus, this was supposed to be a marquee game for the league to kick off the season.
I have no idea what other viewers across the country did, but I know what I did except for about five minutes of the Thunder game, that being, I watched a great baseball playoff game in which the LA Dodgers edged the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 as Cody Bellinger singled home Manny Machado in the 13th inning. Great baseball game.
As far as the Thunder, they lost 108-100 as they predictably struggled shooting the basketball from the field, the line, and behind the arc.
From those minutes I saw of the Thunder they looked like a really long, fast, and athletic team which still can’t shoot the basketball. If this were the 400 relay I’d be picking the Thunder in the West. But since this is basketball and shooting kind of matters I think those of us who have the Thunder at 4th or 5th in the West did the right thing.
The Thunder visit the Clips on Friday. Maybe some of these OKC Thunder beat writers will be told if Russell Westbrook is going to play in that one before Friday morning.
Here’s the thing about the very tough West in the NBA…if you dick around and come out of the gates too slow like last year– chances are you’ll never catch up in the standings against the Warriors and Rockets.