Let’s get one thing out of the way. The Oklahoma City Thunder are likely going to lose the NBA Finals. A 104-98 loss to the Miami Heat Tuesday put the Thunder down 3 games to 1. That scenario’s occurred 30 different times in NBA Finals history, and 30 times the team up 3-1 has won the series. I don’t really need the stat to tell me that Miami are clearly the better team. They’ve forced OKC to play in ways they’re not accustomed too, and clearly are motivated from last years Final’s loss. Kudos. Many will look at the outcome of this series, and find a player to blame. It’s not fair to blame Kevin Durant right? He of all-god like talent and charisma, Durant’s the penultimate nice guy of the NBA.
So let’s blame Russell Westbrook, the enigmatic, sporadic point-guard for the Thunder, who many claim takes shots away from your boy and mine, Kevin Durant.
Russell Westbrook is not to blame for the Thunder’s struggles this series. Sure, there are times where you wish he dished the ball more, or earlier. Sure you wish he’d calm down with his flying to the rim routine. But when it works, and more often than not it does, you’re the first to gush at his abilities. Many will look at his game 4 gaffe, the foul of Mario Chalmers with 14 seconds left off the jump ball, and simply judge his game on that one play.
You’re of course ignoring the 43 points, and the determined look on his face from the opening tip. You ignore of course his single-handedly bringing the Thunder back from 7 down in the 4th. You ignore the fact that in that final frame he shot 7 for 9 from the field while the rest of the Thunder were simply 2 of 7. Durant put up just 3 shots the quarter, not as a result of Westbrook, but of the shutdown defence Miami threw at him. Westbrook HAD to do what he did. It wasn’t just Durant, where was Harden? With 2 minutes left Harden had a wide open 16-foot shot that he simply did not want to take. He missed all 4 of his shots in the 4th. Blame Westbrook. The Thunder are physically playing at the American Airlines centre, but many aside from Westbrook have failed to bring their talents to South Beach.
Westbrook isn’t one of them.
I understand why he gets the flack when the team loses. Everyone does. It’s partially because of Kevin Durant and his personality and partially because we see Westbrook the most when watching a game. When he misses, he REALLY misses. Don’t twist my words and come at me saying I’m blaming Durant instead. I’m not. The Thunder are just being beat.
But to assume they’d be better without Westbrook? Asinine. They’re in the finals because of their tragic hero. Anyone who says otherwise isn’t watching the same games.
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June 22, 2012
