We are halfway through the 2017-18 NBA season (few games removed) and there is a sense that we are about to watch the same story for the second year in a row. Despite experiencing one of the most exciting NBA offseasons ever, we have the Golden State Warriors as even bigger favorites than a year ago. However, some people believe the Oklahoma City Thunder is maybe the only team that could give the Warriors trouble in the Western Conference. That’s due to their big move: once again they got themselves a Big 3 with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. But, were the OK3 put together too fast?
The Oklahoma City Thunder is one of the most inconsistent teams in the league when it comes to the quality of the game they are showing. In some moments they are looking like they are invincible, and in others, like they don’t belong in the NBA at all. After an ugly star in which they were 4-7 and lost to teams like Sacramento Kings, the Thunder picked up the pace and won three straight before going into a slump again. Now they find themselves on the 5th spot in the Western Conference and with four games behind the Timberwolves. Not the place Thunder wants to be, but there is a bit promise. Is that promise enough, and can the Thunder challenge the Warriors and go for the title? Yes, but too many things have to align in order for this to happen.
First, Russell Westbrook has to know when to stop shooting. That was a major issue with Westbrook’s game this season. When the shot isn’t falling, he forces it and wastes a lot of good possessions in an attempt to score a bucket. Persistence is one of the things that makes Westbrook one of the best basketball players but also can be his biggest nemesis. He tends to hog the ball too long and it’s like he sometimes forgets that he has two All-Star caliber players alongside him. You can put Westbrook alone with a group of G-League guys and he will get you a win or two in the playoffs, but the Thunder fans are expecting much more.
Paul George has been a crucial player for Thunder on the defense and one of the reasons why the team is ranked 3rd in Team Defensive Efficiency in NBA. But, like all the OK3 members, he often struggles with an offense like he doesn’t know when it’s the right time to take over. Whether it’s too much respect for Westbrook and Anthony, or something completely else, George has to know when to be a man and prove why he is one of the best two-way players in the game.
Melo can drop 50 on a night without breaking a sweat. But, Thunder doesn’t need him to do that. Carmelo Anthony needs to do what he has been doing in the last month. Pick his shots, cut down on the iso ball and trust his teammates that they will give him the ball at the best moment possible.
Watching the rest of the Thunder players, you can get a feeling that their performance tends to mimic one of their stars. When Westbrook, PG13, and Melo are having fun, the rest of the team follow. When they are having a bad night, the rest of the team becomes even worse. If they don’t start picking up the slack when the things are going north for OK3, they’ll never be able to elevate Thunder as a title contender. The best hope for the Thunder fans is that everything bad so far was just a side-effect of getting together.
The OK3 was put together too fast and was given too much of a task to complete on such a short notice. The Thunder players were repeating through the season that they are figuring things out, and they may do so, but it will be too late when the Warriors get in their way. The only hope for Thunder to get a title is to have George and Melo stay another season and they make a run next year. This year they can only give the Warriors a good run for their money.
