It was eerily surprising on Monday night in Detroit as to how easily the lengthy Thunder dispatched of the Pistons. This was supposed to be a test for Clay Bennett’s $145 million dollar basketball team. But there was no test on this night as the Thunder rolled over the Pistons by a count of 110-83.
Six different Thunder players scored in double figures. The Thunder are 6-0 when this happens. The Thunder pounded the Pistons on the boards. There was suffocating defense as well as the Thunder limited the Pistons to 33% from the field and 18% from beyond the arc. If ever there was a game which showed it is a myth Andre Roberson is the only player who can make the Thunder click defensively it was this game. The Thunder were a defensive monster with fangs. They looked every bit like a team which could be something in April other than just another first round exit.
Wild Thing never really materialized. Instead we saw in Russell Westbrook in the second half a point guard who made some basketball sense. A point guard who punished the wispy and annoying Reggie Jackson with his physicality. We saw a Westbrook who was actually exerting effort on the defensive end of the floor like he cared. A point guard on a mission for at least the third straight game after the meltdown against the Nuggets.
This is the Russell Westbrook who Sam Presti can’t trade. This is that player. The question is how does Billy Donovan control Wild Thing when the basketball calendar turns to mid April?
The thing though is that right now Paul George is the best player on the team night in and night out and there’s an argument to be made Steven Adams could be the second best player on the team. This is what a good point guard does….he makes his other options better players.
I have no idea if Russell Westbrook can control his Wild Thing inner demons for prolonged periods of times. We’ve seen these periods of repentance before in WT, but then he reverts and does things which you don’t see in a U10 youth game at the YMCA.
How will we ever know if and when Wild Thing has crossed the bridge?
We won’t.
It’s like being a werewolf. Certain moons turn Russell Westbrook into a point guard for the ages, then other lunar moons turn him into Wild Thing. I have no idea what Maurice Cheeks whispers into Russell’s ear on the Thunder bench. No idea whatsoever. I don’t want to know. Billy Donovan doesn’t want to know. Just roll with it and hope you can mitigate it as best as possible must be the private Thunder mantra. Even Wild Thing sweetheart Nick Gallo prolly isn’t privy to the Wild Thing code.
So here the Thunder sit at 15-7 in the topsy turvy West. What should we think? What are realistic expectations? You want to believe. You really do.
But in the end I can’t.
I’ve seen this shit before.
But on this night in Detroit the Thunder looked like a team which could maybe do a thing or two this season.