Oklahoma City Thunder: Is Russell Westbrook Destined To Be Alone?
It’s funny, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, in my opinion, is the best PG in the NBA but does anyone want to play with him? How could a player be so dominant, with such a strong will to win and be left on an island by himself? Is it really all Westbrook’s fault? What happens if Paul George and Carmelo Anthony do leave? Who will he turn to?
Let’s take a look back at some of Westbrook’s teammates and where they are today in the NBA.
The easy one to start with is Jeff Green. At one point, Green was the perfect example of a stretch 4. Alongside Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant, Green was a valuable member of the Thunder. After he was sent packing, he became a bit of a journeyman but still found himself in the NBA Finals with LeBron James this season.
Serge Ibaka is another player who parted ways with Westbrook and still found success. In his time with the Thunder, Ibaka would be regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NBA. Now, with the Toronto Raptors, Ibaka has continued the defensive trend on a team who finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Does All The Blame For Oklahoma City Thunder Failures Fall On Russell Westbrook?
Look at James Harden who shared the backcourt with Westbrook. While a volume scorer with the Thunder, once he left, he became Kobe Bryant 2.0. Harden should be selected as league MVP this year after leading the Houston Rockets to the best record in the NBA.
Although he and Durant would make a good one-two combo, they were never able to make it back to the Finals. After blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Warriors, Durant chose to leave Westbrook and the results– two NBA Championships and two Finals MVPs. Not bad at all.
Then we move on to Victor Oladipo. Once viewed as an average scorer while with the Orlando Magic, he stayed the course after he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But after being moved again in the Paul George trade, Oladipo exploded with the Indiana Pacers in his first season. Now regarded as possibly the best SG in the East, his game improved after leaving Russell Westbrook.
And that brings us to George and Anthony. It’s rumored that the Oklahoma City Thunder will let Anthony go but George is another issue. He’s set to become a free agent this summer as many teams have him as high as LeBron on their list. What happens if he leaves Westbrook too? Who will the Thunder lean on to help the triple-double machine?
And if your George, leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder may be the best option if you’re looking at history.
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Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
