1. Play Through Westbrook and George
While an improvement in bench production would certainly help the Thunder, the NBA remains a star-driven league, especially in recent years. It’s become more apparent than ever that a team is only as good as its best players. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the hierarchy is clear.
Russell Westbrook and Paul George are the top dogs. Westbrook and George combined to average just over 47 points per game as a duo last season, by far the highest total for a duo on the team. The two were able to post that impressive average despite now-Houston Rocket Carmelo Anthony averaging 16.2 points per game. With Anthony gone, and Westbrook and George able to dictate the game, even more, their point totals will likely see an increase in the 2018-19 season.
For the last two seasons, Russell Westbrook has averaged a triple-double because he is so instrumental to the Thunder’s entire team philosophy and gameplan, he has one of the highest usage rates in the NBA. Normally, for one player to have such a high usage rate would be seen as a negative, but not in Westbrook’s case.
Put simply, Russell Westbrook is a player who makes those around him better, in several facets of the game. He can draw the defense in by driving, find teammates for easy scoring opportunities and even keep possessions alive by grabbing offensive rebounds. Westbrook is so dynamic that he can sometimes do all three of these things in a single possession.
Paul George is one of the league’s best two-way players, and he had an immediate impact on the Thunder in his first season with them. George was the first truly elite player the Thunder acquired since the departure of Kevin Durant. Trading for George allowed the Thunder to regain some of the statuses they lost after Durant left.
In the 2016-17 season, OKC was a one-man show, with Westbrook single-handedly dragging them to the playoffs. George’s scoring and defense allowed the Thunder to improve both their record and their playoff position.
The Thunder absolutely should attempt to become a more well-rounded team, and nothing but positive things can happen as a result of that. However, they should still remember that they’ll likely only go as far as Westbrook and George can take them.
