The NBA is a hot spot for news this offseason, but nothing has been more newsworthy than Kevin Durant going to the Golden State Warriors. Thunder fans are irate. Reactions are taking on the characteristics of Cleveland when Lebron James left to the Heat. People can hate Durant all they want, but what people are failing to realize is how this affects Russell Westbrook. Westbrook ended the 2015-16 season averaging a double double (26 pts, 11 ast). In addition, he ended the season with a total of 18 triple doubles. Sounds like a superstar right?
Durant leaving gives Westbrook the chance to rise up and lead the Thunder himself. Yeah, it sucks that he’s gone. They lost one of the best scoring players of all time. The Thunder are a different team now. But, it’s time for Westbrook to prove himself. The Thunder recently acquired Victor Oladipo and he can be a great supporter for Russell Westbrook. Averaging 16 points and 3.9 assists per game in the 2015-16 season, he proves that he is a player who can get buckets, and facilitate if need be. For Westbrook, this means someone who can fill his assist column, and give him the assists he needs to score his points. This means he remains a triple double threat. Furthermore, Oladipo is a player that just wants to succeed and play basketball. During a break in the Orlando summer league, he stated the following courtesy of Nick Friedell of ESPN.
“A lot of my coaches and a lot of my friends texted me, told me what was going on and asked me how I felt about it. I just sent them a ring emoji. That’s what my goal is — to help this team win a championship. It’s kind of funny going from one extreme to another. It’s pretty cool. It’s all a blessing. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life.”
Victor Oladipo is obviously no Kevin Durant, and in no way should he be put on that level yet. That being said, he only has three years in the league and is reaching the high point of his career. This is happening right when Westbrook just finished the best season that he has had thus far in his career. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook has reportedly claimed that he is not returning to the Thunder after this season. The Thunder now have three choices. They let him walk, they trade him, or they work with him. The ideal option for the Thunder would be to keep Westbrook. Why wouldn’t you want him? They know he wants to leave, and letting Durant walk certainly didn’t sweeten up the deal for him. If they want Westbrook, they need to talk with him now and they need to build a team around him. Furthermore, they need to ask him what his ideal team is, and try to provide that for him. That is the only way to make him stay. To make it his team.
This upcoming season, Westbrook is the star of the show for the Thunder. He can run the game his way. He is no longer in Durant’s shadow. It’s no longer a dynamic duo. It’s time for him to make it his show now before he goes to another team. If he can utilize this support system, he could make his last season with the Thunder a truly historic one. He can make himself the face of the Thunder and furthermore show that he has the ability to put a team on his back and take them far. Will they be a title contender? Probably not. But Russell Westbrook can make some noise for himself and for the team if he plays up to his potential. Not only can this be beneficial to his legacy, but it could pave the way for some big contracts for himself in the very near future.
