OKC getting beat in Game 1 in Portland in no way surprised me. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Thunder lost Game 2 as well. As a team–they still don’t get it and that’s primarily the fault of Russell Westbrook and Paul George…not Billy Donovan.
These are two great regular season players to date in their careers. But their respective post season legacies are shrinking with every post season game they play together in Oklahoma City.
It’s brutal watching them play together when the games finally mean something.
If the Thunder exit again in in the first round this post season the pretenders talk will heighten and they’ll start to be pegged as non prime time ‘stars’ who can’t win against good teams when it matters in April, May and June.
Those are the three months reserved for Steph, Klay and Durant—but not for Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
It is what it is.
If I were their coach this is what I would have them watch together at the hotel tonight to help them decide what they want this post season to be in Oklahoma City.