After what transpired during the summer, who would’ve thought the Thunder would end up in a situation like this?
With only three games to go, Oklahoma City has yet to secure a playoff spot. Even if the Thunder do clinch a spot, this season has been incredibly underwhelming and disappointing for many reasons.
Russell Westbrook squeaked OKC into the playoffs last year with a 47-35 record, good enough for the sixth seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder were then bounced in the first round in the five games by Houston, mercilessly ending the franchise’s first year without Kevin Durant.
It looked as if the magic that once enveloped the city with deep playoff runs had come to an end.
Then general manager Sam Presti waved his wand in July, and superstar Paul George suddenly arrived to give the MVP some much-needed all-star assistance. Things were looking up.
Presti wasn’t done there, though.
Only two months later, Presti delivered an even more shocking move, trading beloved Enes Kanter along with Doug McDermott and a second-round pick for Carmelo Anthony. Just like that, OKC was a title contender once again.
Or so we thought.
The Thunder now sit a sixth in the West, and at best, they can finish only 48-34, only one game better than last season. Even that could be a stretch given the team’s remaining schedule — at Houston, at Miami and vs. Memphis.
This team was touted to be the main threat to Golden State, but things have taken an unforeseen turn.
For a club that acquired two superstars to pair with Westbrook, the inconsistency and mediocre basketball has not only been ugly, it’s been embarrassing. There is a decent chance the Thunder could miss the postseason all together. That would be rock bottom for an organization that’s been looking for answers since Durant’s departure on July 4, 2016.
So what went wrong when everything seemed to be going so right?
What, if anything, should Thunder fans regret about what shaped this squad into what it is today?
We already know what OKC was last year with a lone superstar, so why aren’t three (or two and half) working.
Well, we have to look at the offseason acquisitions.
George has underperformed to some extent, averaging 2.1 points less than last season at 21.6 points per game.
That is a little worrisome, but when considering he’s the second option to a ball-dominant guard in Westbrook, the decrease is excusable.
Anthony, on the other hand, is a different matter.
He already didn’t have a great reputation before coming to OKC, with some referring to him as a “cancer” in the locker room when he was with the Knicks. Could the Thunder’s struggles be attributed to his presence? Maybe, but there is no concrete evidence to support that at this time.
His production has taken a dive as well, but to a much worse degree.
Anthony is averaging a career-low 16.2 points per game in the 75 games he’s played thus far. That is more than a six-point drop off from last season, when he played 74 games. His assists and rebounds have decreased as well.
There could be several factors for that, including that fact he has played only 32.2 minutes per game when he averaged 36.1 minutes for his career coming into this season. But is that an excuse? I don’t thinks so.
It is reasonable to believe the Thunder would’ve been better had they forgone the trade with New York, but we’ll never know for sure. If Thunder fans had the option to take one of the trades back, it would probably be that one.
Regardless of the struggles from the new supporting cast, OKC will probably find a way to make the playoffs, but at what cost? The Thunder have slipped so far down the standings, it will be difficult to reach the beyond the first round.
If OKC finishes sixth, it will play Portand, a team that swept the Thunder (4-0) this season, in the first round. A fourth or fifthplace finish would match them up with probably either Utah or San Antonio.
Dropping to seventh or eigth would essentially be a death sentence, for the Thunder don’t appear to have a run in them to upset either Houston or Golden State. OKC must avoid those scenarios at all costs.
Regardless of what happens in the final three games, the question remains: Who would’ve thought the Thunder would end up in a situation like that?