If ever there was an indictment of why Scott Brooks shouldn’t have been replaced by Billy Donovan this was it. I’m not saying a change was bad, but if you’re going to make a change make one which truly changes the culture of your basketball team.
I watched all of this basketball game and it pretty much depressed me because it fully illuminated what I already knew…that being, the OKC Thunder are not a .500 ball club in this year’s NBA Western Conference without Russell Westbrook caring a heavy workload.
Why should that be a surprise to anybody who knows anything about Thunder basketball?
In 2015, with Kevin Durant missing all but 27 games, the Thunder still went 45-37. Westbrook missed games, Ibaka missed games, Roberson missed games, Adams missed games, and of course Reggie Jackson had to be traded at the deadline. People were actually grateful the Thunder acquired Kyle Singler. Still, the Thunder won 45 games and only missed the playoffs when the Spurs lost to the Pelicans on the last day of the regular season.
Though I didn’t agree with firing Brooks, I didn’t lose sleep over it either. It’s a big boy profession and the Third Rule of Coaching is you’re always at some point hired to be fired at some point unless you’re Gregg Popovich or Red Auerbach.
Billy Donovan should take notice, the Third Rule of Coaching will be humming if Russell Westbrook isn’t back on the floor on Sunday evening in Oklahoma City against the feeble Sacramento Kings.
This Thunder team without Westbrook could in no way win 45 games over the haul of an 82 game season. Even if Paul George, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroeder, and Jerami Grant don’t miss a single game between them. This team doesn’t know what it’s even trying to do albeit do it without Westbrook on the floor.
Without Westbrook, this team doesn’t have an identity.
When the Warriors lose either Durant or Curry for long stretches of games they don’t lose a beat. Even without Timmy Duncan and Tony Parker the Spurs have still been respectable. Even with Kyrie and Hayward out the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
And do you why this occurred? It occurred because the head coach ingrained within the team a sequence of systems which remain the same even if a star goes down.
That’s kind of what head coaching is about along with communicating and motivating.
These Thunder remind me of the Green Bay Packers without Aaron Rodgers, as in they’re not viable without their franchise star.
This Thunder team without Westbrook is now tied for last in the West with lowly Sacramento which will be tanking before long. Look at their roster and you’ll understand they’ll be tanking.
Two games in and you know what… You can’t blame Carmelo Anthony for the Thunder for being 0-2.
Sam Presti in his heart could read what I’ve just written and either agree with it or disagree with it.
I could care less.
I’m not on his payroll and don’t need off the record access to him.
But Presti is a smart guy.
Russell Westbrook, get back soon…for Billy Donovan’s sake.