Of course it is and has been ever since July 4th, 2016. It may be Paul George’s career MVP year, but make no bones about it… this is the team Sam Presti built for Russell Westbrook to drive. This is the racecar the NBA Executive of the Year has rebuilt with precise care and diligence to fit Westbrook.
This Thunder team from one thru thirteen can run the court. It may be the fastest team in the league baseline to baseline. They’re all athletic. They’re all long and look like they might be related to Stacy Augmon. At times I find myself calling Jerami Grant ‘The General’ and then realize father Harvey is home watching. Dave Sieger would smile watching this team when they bring their Big Boy defensive game to the arena. When they want to defend they look close to special.
Take Westbrook out of the mix and you have five players in George, Adams, Grant, Ferguson, and Schroder who are all having career years. Putting numbers aside–this is the smartest basketball I’ve ever seen out of Nerlens Noel at the NBA level. He appears functional and beyond.
We were supposed to believe without the fragile Alex Abrines this team couldn’t shoot threes, but in reality ever since Abrines went back across the Atlantic Ocean to follow his heart the Thunder have been one the league’s better three point shooting teams. Go figure.
Paul George is in the running for MVP. Dennis Schroder is in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. Terrance Ferguson is in the running for Most Improved Player and Paul George is a double nominee for Defensive Player of the Year. And of course–I have Sam Presti currently in the lead for NBA Executive of the Year.
So I ask myself this question…would any of this be possible without Russell Westbrook driving the Thunder bus?
And my answer is no.
Other than shooting the three–Westbrook is having the best year of his career in pretty much every category…. rebounding, defending, assists, steals, and most of all leadership. His free throw shooing will be back by April.. I almost feel certain.
I’ve been tough on Russell Westbrook at times on my blog this season pleading with him to morph into Maurice Cheeks 1983. But you know what, for the most part he’s almost there. He’s given up parts of his game. Maurice Cheeks made Moses Malone and Dr. J better players. Russell Westbrook is doing the exact same thing with Paul George and Steven Adams every night. Every single night. Paul George is in the running for MVP not in spite of Westbrook, but because of Westbrook.
As we get ready to start the back third of the regular season I write this with total confidence this is still Russell Westbrook’s airplane only with Paul George in the co-pilot seat instead of Durant. As Westbrook goes, so will go the Thunder.
This was nice.