I think it’s time to officially declare what most of us already knew. This Oklahoma City Thunder experiment of the “Big Three” consisting of Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George just isn’t working. Despite the three of them being together for just one season, their chemistry on the floor didn’t mesh and they never really gelled as a unit. In the beginning of this experiment earlier in the year, Westbrook went out of his way to provide extra shots and opportunities for Anthony and George.
This wasn’t helping as the offense looked stagnant and there was more iso ball being played versus spacing the floor and having an offensive rhythm. Eventually both Carmelo and Paul George approached Westbrook and told him to just be his normal aggressive self and take over when needed. As Westbrook reverted back to his normal ways of being an absolute roadrunner on the floor and destroying anyone or anything that would come in his path, the Thunder did show some signs of life, going on a few win streaks and capturing some momentum.
However, those situations were only temporary and not frequent enough. They ended up capturing the 4th seed in the west, having to face a hot Utah team that landed the 5th seed. Many thought that the Thunder would handle the younger Jazz team, including myself who picked the Thunder to win it in 7 games. Utah reminded many of us, particularly after game 2 in which they clearly outplayed and beat the Thunder in OKC, that they’re the better coached team who has role players that are outshining the “superstars” of the Thunder.
Speaking of superstars, how about that rookie Donovan Mitchell? Mitchell was the MVP of the series for the Jazz, and he clearly deserves to be rookie of the year to me. The glaring difference that I saw in this series and what I haven’t seen enough out of the Thunder this year is the lack of ball movement and communication out on the floor. Carmelo couldn’t buy a bucket in the playoffs, as he clearly struggled on both ends of the floor offensively and defensively. Paul George played well for the most part, but he disappeared during critical moments, particularly in game 6 only scoring 5 points on 2-16 shooting.
There was a lot of sloppy play and far too many turnovers for the Thunder. I didn’t see a sense of urgency out of them until game 5 when they were down 25 points at home as Paul George and Westbrook both took over and led OKC to a historic comeback victory over the Jazz. Despite Westbrook being the MVP of the league last year and averaging back to back triple double numbers in the last 2 seasons, he can be a gift and a curse at times. He’s the ultimate competitor and gives maximum effort which I truly respect and love, however he also has shown signs of immaturity, lack of leadership, and at times taking way too many shots and turning the ball over.
It seems like so long ago that the Thunder once had a roster of Kevin Durant, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, and Russell Westbrook. They’ve all left with the exception of Russ, who will always give you your money’s worth in terms of effort and entertainment on the court. Unfortunately, lack of leadership, cockiness, and frequent turnovers doesn’t add up to an NBA title. I love watching Westbrook play when he’s on, but the problem is he’s not on or “in the zone” making the right decisions consistently enough or becoming a leader and making other teammates better.
Paul George has always had a desire to come back to the Westcoast and play for his hometown Lakers, but none of us know whether or not it will actually happen. My gut instinct is telling me that it will, but let’s not place any wagers on hypotheticals. Carmelo Anthony is 34 years old, and due a $28 million player option. Based on how he looked this year, I’m not so sure that price tag makes sense. I realize that they also lost defensive stopper Andre Roberson earlier in the year, which didn’t help matters, but this is the NBA and teams make adjustments all the time. Steven Adams has been one of their bright spots and a very consistent two way player.
Billy Donovan in my opinion will be gone, as he failed to display a sense of leadership, a lack of in game adjustments, or a consistent level of organization for his team. He was outstanding as a college coach at Florida where he won 2 titles, but the NBA is a whole different level than the college atmosphere. I personally think Donovan is a better fit for college if he decides to continue coaching assuming he loses his job with the Thunder. When you add all of this up, it certainly gives you a mixed bag of controversy, disappointment, and curiosity to see what exactly will happen next. One thing that I do know is this, be prepared to see some major changes once again in OKC.