Before I even get to all this drama bullshit with the Warriors and Kevin Durant’s probable exit to join LeBron with the Lakers next season, I need to address Carmelo Anthony being cut by the Houston Rockets.
Big surprise, right?
No. Even the dimmest of wits in Oklahoma City who saw Carmelo play last season and then refuse to accept a bench role in his exit interview knew the Houston Rockets had made a very dumb move in allowing Carmelo to join their basketball team. The Rockets are clearly not as good without Ariza and Luc—but in adding Carmelo they even weakened their team more.
It is not surprising then the Rockets have parted with Carmelo but after only ten games. I’m still going to stay with the Rockets as my No. 2 team in the West for this reason though, that being, I still think the Rockets have the best four players in the West excluding the Warriors. I’d still put Harden, Chris Paul, Clint Capela, and Eric Gordon higher than Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, and Dennis Schroder. Just a bit, but not a huge gap. Unlike last season, if Russell Westbrook can grow up as a basketball player… it is ‘plausible’ then an argument could be made for OKC being a contender in the West.
But again I will highlight this with….this only becomes a possibility if Russell Westbrook can change himself as a basketball player to some degree. And this isn’t on Billy Donovan—this is on RUSSELL WESTBROOK.
Russell Westbrook is now in his 11th NBA season. Usually Year 10 is when you start to see NBA players start their physical decline. To date, Russell Westbrook has missed seven of OKC’s first fourteen games this basketball season. His knee is well documented. Westbrook for some of his faults has played a ton of minutes for Sam Presti. He’s played hurt. He’s been loyal to Oklahoma City.
Now this is just me thinking out loud mind you. If I’m Russell Westbrook and I just witnessed Carmelo Anthony in essence being cut by the Houston Rockets ten games into his 16th season–I’m thinking to myself… ‘Is this the way I want to exit the game as well?’
I hope for Russell Westbrook’s sake… not.
Because right now Carmelo Anthony has the appearance of a pathetic player who couldn’t take that honest look in the mirror and ever change as a player.
I hope Russell Westbrook takes an honest look in the mirror and decides it’s time to change as a basketball player and do smart things instead of things first year players in the league do. It’s time to nuance his game. To play defense. To not worry about individual stats. To do the little things which give your team a chance of advancing instead of being dumped in the first round by Rickey Rubio and a rookie named Donovan Mitchell.
It’s time. It really is.
Now…if I were a scribe for the Daily Oklahoman like say Tramel and wrote this…you know what would happen? What would happen is that Russell would be openly rude to me and then kiss Nikki Gallo’s balls into eternity for never saying one honest thing to him. Truth hurts. It does.
So to me…the storylines in Oklahoma City fourteen games into this season aren’t if Billy Donovan can coach or if Sam Presti can general manage?
The story line in Oklahoma City is painfully obvious even in the smallest market in all of pro sports which has a media minus Tramel which refuses to write tough sentences or paragraphs of substance.
The storyline is simple.
Can Russell Westbrook nuance his game and become a point guard who can lead his team beyond the first round in post season play?
Pretty simple. It really is.
This has nothing to do with Billy Donovan at this point.
This is all about Russell Westbrook.
As a fan of Russell Westbrook I don’t write any of this with malice. I write this with the hope Russell Westbrook doesn’t at some point exit the game like Carmelo Anthony.