Russell Westbrook’s historic season is over.
After the Oklahoma City Thunder lost 1-4 to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, Westbrook’s dream of winning his first championship ring came to an end. Although to be fair, that dream was a reach. He would have had to go through Houston, San Antonio, and Golden State just to reach the Finals. And we all know that wasn’t going to happen.
By all accounts, Westbrook had an impressive season. He broke the record for most triple-doubles in a single season. He also averaged a triple-double during the year. His averages of 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists have him as the front-runner to win the MVP Award.
But as if that wasn’t enough, he also averaged a triple-double during the first round of the playoffs. He posted 37.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.8 assists against the Rockets, but it wasn’t enough. The Rockets easily dismantled the Thunder in five games, but it wasn’t Westbrook’s fault. Numbers wise, he was even better in the playoffs. And some said that wouldn’t have been possible.
Considering he had one of the best seasons in the history of the league and the team still suffered an early playoff exit, the future of the star point guard is up in the air right now. Yes, he’s under contract with the Thunder. But we’ve seen crazier things happen before. We know Los Angeles Lakers want him, but they might not have enough assets to do anything. Westbrook could ask for a trade as well, but c’mon – he’s not going to do that. Not after he talked about loyalty when Kevin Durant left the Thunder to join the Warriors.
By all accounts, Westbrook needs to stay in Oklahoma City. He’s the heart and soul of this team. And if he couldn’t thrive in this team, it was because the roster was designed to feature Durant, Westbrook, and possibly Serge Ibaka. If you remove two of their best three players, of course it’s going to matter. And the management didn’t do a proper job of replacing them, either. Victor Oladipo is a good player, but he’s no Durant. And everybody knows that.
What the Thunder needs to do is simple. They have to get more pieces to help Westbrook. They must build the team around him, similar to what the Rockets did with James Harden. Or what the Cleveland Cavaliers tend to do with LeBron James. Sure, another star player would be nice, but it’s not ideal. Westbrook already showed he can be the alpha dog. He embraces that role, and thrives in it.
The ball is in the front office’s side of the court. If they want to maintain Westbrook around, they need to start building a better roster. Because this season proved he can’t do everything on his own.