For a city that's only had a major pro franchise for four years, one man holds the key to a major professional sports championship. All he has to do is turn it.
Whether Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook can manage to do that is up for debate.
Spurs' Tony Parker goes after dribble of Thunder's Russell Westbrook in second half of Oklahoma City's 108-103 win Monday in San Antonio.
Westbrook is a terrific story. The kid from a rough section of Los Angeles (Hawthorne) was not heavily recruited entering his senior year at Leuzinger High. Nobody in the Pac-10 wanted him. The best offers he had to that date were mid-majors San Diego, Wyoming and Creighton. Then a growth spurt kicked in and he sprouted from 5-11 to 6-2, still possessing those rocket-thruster quads, spider arms and huge hands.
His body was designed to play the game; his skills just had to catch up.
They have. Now it's time for his ego. It's still catching up.
On Tuesday, I spoke to three people very close to Westbrook during his formative years out in California. The consensus was unanimous: If he can ever harness his mind and develop some maturity, he will be a superstar.
That's a big if.
Westbrook very nearly blew the game for the Thunder in its pivotal Western Finals game 5 in San Antonio, eventually won by OKC 108-103.
It didn't have to happen, but it never does. Westbook always has to prove he's The Man in the final four minutes and he becomes a ball-stopper more maddening than Carmelo Anthony. Except you have the sense Melo is just purely selfish while Westbrook simply has a teenager's fragile ego, as if he's constantly trying to prove something.
The Thunder were fashioning a near blowout at 101-88 and everyone was involved. Kevin Durant was unstoppable. As was Westbrook's old L.A. and Pac-10 rival James Harden. And the kid from Hawthorne and UCLA was getting them the ball. Even big shot-blocker Serge Ibaka was chipping in on offense with mid-range jumpers. The crowd in San Antonio was transitioning from panic to fatalistic despondence.
Then Westbrook got the creaky Spurs back in the game with three straight turnovers. All were due to his own need to be in control. And yet, he was flipping out of control. When the game gets late and the tension is thick, Westbrook has to obtain the ball and thump-thump-thump, go 1-on-1 to prove he's the team leader. Or something. Even my L.A. guys aren't really sure exactly. And they've known him for years.
Simply as a talent, Westbrook is wondrous. You see him now and it's hard to imagine him holding a fragile ego. But he wasn't always the player you see. A mere six years ago, he was an athlete without a game.
His gifts have always been his legs. Quick feet, those pogo-stick quads, a tremendous first step. This compensates for a sloppy handle. Which explains why he can be chaotic and erratic when he simply tries to bust a defender 1-on-1.
Westbrook's mid-range game has really improved since his UCLA days. So would mine if I had such a lethal first step and those thrusters attached to my thighs. Every pull-up jumper for this kid is taken in an easy chair. He always can get clearance when he needs it. You almost can't blame him for going back to that 16-footer over and over when the minutes dwindle.
And he is not shy. He wants the ball. He wants to win so badly. That's a good thing. He just needs to realize his handle skills are still developing (current Indiana Pacer guard Darren Collison was the PG at UCLA) and that he has two lethal scorers on hand (Harden and Durant).
Defensively, the guy is just phenomenal. He's a jumping spider. Maybe the fact that Westbrook did a pretty good number on Harden for one year when they played against each other in the Pac-10 (Harden at Arizona State) has something to do with his lack of deferential tendency.
As for any intrasquad simmering rivalry, it's not that Westbrook doesn't get along with Durant and Harden off the court. He does. Both his high-octane teammates are ultra-mature for their age and couldn't be easier of demeanor.
Harden is permanently chill; he'd be the bass player in any band. Scott Pera, his high school head coach and later his college assistant at ASU once told me a story about his low drama quotient. Think there's some big secret to why Harden wears the quirky No. 13? This is it: When he first arrived at Artesia High, Pera told him they had two jerseys left â€" 35 and 13. Which one did he want? Harden said, “Whatever, I'll take 13.†That's it. And he's just worn it ever since because no one else wants it.
Which has worked out well because one of his current teammates likes 35. Durant is famous for his self-discipline and easy manner. Given praise, he reflexively refers to weaknesses he needs to improve. And few young players appreciate the NBA's history more.
If you can't get along with these guys, you've got a problem. But here's the thing for OKC. They might need someone to slap Westbrook upside and tell him, “Look. When the minutes get small, quit hogging the ball. As a team, we're unstoppable.â€
Nobody has yet. Maybe that's coach Scott Brooks' job. Maybe easier said than done.
Two of the people I spoke with who have intimate knowledge of the situation believe it's not really an off-court problem but an on-court rivalry between Westbrook and his budding star teammates. One believes he has a one-way rivalry going with Durant. The other is just as sure he's insecure about Harden. Both are certain the other two stars don't care. That they just want to win.
If this chemistry thing doesn't get resolved, it should be Westbrook who gets shipped out of town. Fiscally, the Thunder are not going to be able to keep their big three intact. One has to go. If it's Harden, it realistically has to be after this season. He could end up packing for someplace like Phoenix. The Thunder could conceivably extend him but it will cost them. Otherwise, he becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next season. They'll never be able to afford him then and still pay Westbrook and Durant.
Thing is, Harden is the better decision-maker, the better team player. Wouldn't you rather deal for an affordable veteran point man, someone of an Andre Miller mold, and send Westbrook and what's left of his 5-year, $80 million contract out of town instead?
It worked out for the Thunder on Monday because of serendipity, not teamwork. Westbrook hit a standstill, 1-on-1 20-footer after his series of gaffes. And then Harden bombed in a 25-footer off the same sort of iso move, unserviced by his point guard. Either one misses and the Thunder's in big trouble. As it was, the Spurs twice crept within 2 points before collapsing beneath their own aging muscles. Which gives OKC a chance to clinch and move to the NBA Finals with a win Wednesday night (9, TNT)
Who might they meet? Anyone's guess after Tuesday's 94-90 Boston stunner over Miami, leaving the Celtics with a 3-2 series lead and a chance to clinch in Boston. After it, ESPN's Doris Burke asked Kevin Garnett how they managed to invade Miami, fall way behind in the first quarter but still pull it out.
“We played together,†said the old vet. “When we play as individuals, we can look bad. But when we play as a team, we're pretty good.â€
It's a simple lesson the old man preached.Westbrook is a mere 23 â€" 13 years Garnett's junior. The kid has time to learn. But the elder testified from experience earned over many years.
Garnett is the leader of a better team than Miami. That's how you can have a true point guard like Rajon Rondo go 3-of-15 but still fulfill his job description with 13 assists. That's how stars like Rondo and Paul Pierce can find an open man in the fourth quarter and it can be a role player like Mickael Pietrus. They show trust in him. And he hits two huge treys.
Would that ever happen late in a game with Westbrook holding the ball? If he's going to be an NBA champion this year, it had better start happening soon.
DAVID JONES: djones8681@verizon.net. On Twitter: @djoneshoop.
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