So I’ve slept on it and it hurts me to write this on my blog which was ostensibly started to outline a book about the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
You see, I’m not Sam Anderson from the NY Times writing a trendy NY Times bestseller on the history of the Oklahoma City Thunder intertwined with the history of this city I’ve grown up in and grown old in as well. I’m not Sam Anderson. This is personal. This is part of me whether I like it or not. This is who I am. The ending I’ll eventually write will be the truth whether I like it or not.
I watched the brief presser Russell gave after the game. Kudos to Erik Horne the young newsoksports Thunder beat writer. Erik asked the tough questions of Westbrook that I wasn’t hearing from other ‘writers’ in the room. From this point forward during this season I’m going to occasionally give out helmet stickers to local writers like they do on ESPN during college football game day. Erik Horne gets a helmet sticker. Jenni Carlson got one yesterday for the story on Marcus Smart’s mother.
A real writer has to do what Erik did and what Tramel usually has to do… that being, ask the tough questions.
So…given what I just watched last night in that last five minutes of the loss to the Celtics I ask myself this question in regards to Russell Westbrook…Is Russell Westbrook a broken basketball player? Is he coachable?
I don’t think Russell Westbrook is a broken basketball player, just a very unique one who is driven to his own detriment sometimes by trying to do too much.
But here’s what I think Russell Westbrook needs, that being, a head coach who will not tolerate Russell not playing the game the right way for 48 minutes. A head coach who will say, “I’m the head coach, you’re my point guard. You’re an extension of me. When you look stupid, I look stupid. I don’t enjoy being made to look stupid, Russell. Are we good? Do we have an understanding?”
What do you think Alex Cora would have said to Russell after he took that stupid shot with 27 seconds left? What do you think Bill Belicick would have said after that shot? What do you think Pop would have said after that shot?
There’s enough space on here for me to write how many times they would would have said, “Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Russell Westbrook isn’t broken, he just needs a head coach who will not tolerate what we saw last night at the end with the shot selection. I was stunned when I saw that Billy Donovan said the shot Westbrook took with 27 seconds left was a good look.
Jesus Murphy. Billy the Enabler Donovan. Are you kidding me?
Russell Westbrook doesn’t need an enabler, he needs a coach who will tell it like it is and be honest with him and the press whether it’s the convenient thing to do or not.
I’ve been around sports my whole life. I’ve been around very smart sports people. I know what I’m talking about.
Would I fire Billy Donovan right now?
No. That’s not fair and I always lean to the extreme side of patience with coaches.
But what I would write is that it makes no sense whatsoever to pay all this payroll for a team which has a head coach who to date hasn’t been able to help Russell Westbrook cross this last bridge.
Some might say, “Well, maybe Westbrook just isn’t coachable and this is the finished product per Russell Westbrook.”
I don’t buy that because I haven’t seen anything in Westbrook to date which would indicate he enjoys losing and is averse to hard work. Plus, I don’t think he’s selfish. His major flaw is he tries to do too much when sometimes less is the better option.
If I’m Sam Presti this morning I’m not firing Billy Donovan just yet, but I’m putting a short list together of available coaches who might be able to help Russell Westbrook cross this last hurdle as a point guard. I would seriously hire Alex Cora if he’d take the job. I can always find an assistant coach to run practice. Those guys are a dime a dozen. Those guys are everywhere.
But if I’m Sam Presti I’m getting my short list ready.
Sam Presti meet Alex Cora. Do it. You’re not going anywhere with what you have now. Why not?