The last time we saw Russell Westbrook on a basketball court, he put up 47 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists doing things like this:
Paul George and Russell Westbrook are teammates, and it’s going to be so fun
Even if it doesn’t work out long-term, watching Westbrook and George on the same team will be exciting to watch.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
And whether you like it or not, the last time we saw Paul George on the court, he did this:
Westbrook’s needed that second All-Star teammate ever since Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City for the Warriors. Now, he gets Paul George in his prime, coming off one of the better seasons of his career.
The Pacers traded George to the Thunder on Friday for two young players, Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. It was a move that shifted the balance of power further to the West after Jimmy Butler’s trade to the Timberwolves.
George has been the dynamic leader of a Pacers team that the Cavaliers swept out of the playoffs. He’s said he only wants to win. Now, he joins a newly crowned league MVP in Westbrook who’s on the same page.
Russ is already a
Westbrook just posted the single-most incredible season for a player his size in NBA history. The Brodie won Most Valuable Player of the Year over James Harden and Kawhi Leonard by a landslide after breaking Oscar Robertson’s triple double record last season.
Westbrook averaged about 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists through 81 games to almost singlehandedly push Oklahoma City to the West’s sixth-best record. He then tied Wilt Chamberlain’s record of three straight playoff triple doubles before losing to the Rockets in five games.
The Thunder lost that series because they couldn’t stay afloat when their MVP went to the bench. Russ needed an All-Star sidekick to pick up some of the slack when he needs a break.
In Paul George, he has one
George didn’t end the season on the best note. His Pacers got swept out of the first round after he put up a dud in Game 4. Then he told a group of reporters he would think about staying in Indiana before telling the front office he was out next summer.
But PG13 has a nickname for a reason. The perennial All-Star is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He’s an athlete who can get out in transition with Westbrook, but can also creates shots for himself and his teammates.
That kind of shot creator is exactly what the Thunder needed when Westbrook went to the bench.
The Thunder only have a year to figure it out.
After that, George becomes a free agent and can head home to Los Angeles if he chooses to. The following year, Westbrook could become a free agent and bolt town.
But if the Westbrook and the Thunder can convince Paul George to stay, we could see another Western Conference powerhouse on the rise. Because with two big fish, it’s easier to land a third. And Oklahoma City’s got the cap space to make a run at another mid-level free agent, like Danilo Gallinari, Rudy Gay or even Carmelo Anthony.
It’ll be a trip watching these two exciting guards mesh together on the floor. But while the Thunder try to convince PG-13 to build a contender in Oklahoma City, one thing is for sure:
It’s gonna be fun watching this play out.
See More:
