When Stephen Curry was named a 2017 NBA All-Star starter along with James Harden in the Western Conference backcourt, it became clear Russell Westbrook — who is averaging a triple-double this season — would come off the bench behind one of the league’s most heralded shooters.
Will Steve Kerr play Russell Westbrook with the Warriors’ 4 All-Stars? Probably.
That should be interesting.


But when the All-Star reserves were announced shortly after, something else became clear. There’s a distinct possibility that Westbrook will share the court with four Warriors players, including his old teammate Kevin Durant.
Durant left the Thunder for the Warriors during free agency after Golden State lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. It was the Warriors who eliminated Oklahoma City, who held a 3-1 series lead, in the Western Conference Finals last season.
Their relationship has since fractured, culminating with both verbal and physical spats between Durant and multiple Thunder players in his return to Oklahoma City. On Saturday, the two players were still avoiding each other in this wonderfully awkward moment.
Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were also named to the Western Conference All-Star team this season, and Golden State coach Steve Kerr admitted the idea to play Westbrook with his four Warriors All-Stars has crossed his mind more than once.
Here’s what Kerr’s said about All-Star lineups so far
Will he play his four Warriors’ players together?
“Oh, I’m absolutely going to play them all four together,” Kerr said, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Haynes. “Those four will be together for sure. I can guarantee you that will happen at some point because that’ll be a pretty cool thing.”
Thompson added: “That would be really cool. I wonder who the fifth player would be.”
There was speculation already in late January that Westbrook might fill that role.
Asked whether that scenario could play out, Kerr grinned and politely walked away. For now, Kerr wants to savor the accomplishment of four players, plus the coaching staff, representing the Warriors in New Orleans on Feb. 19.
Kerr downplayed the idea of playing Westbrook with his Death Lineup in February, saying he “hadn’t given it one bit of thought.”
But when reminded he had the power to dictate All-Star rotations, the Warriors’ coach conceded he very well could put Westbrook on the floor with his players.
“That’s a good point,” Kerr said. “That will be up to me. The substitution patterns are kind of the one thing you actually do as a coach.”
After Durant’s tumultuous return to Oklahoma City, the West’s coach said the All-Star Game could be an opportunity for the ex-teammates to hash things out.
“Maybe we’ll sing a song,” Kerr joked when asked about uniting Westbrook and his quartet of stars. “To be honest, I haven’t read much about it so I don’t know what they’re saying to each other or at each other. I think if anything, this might be a great opportunity to sit down and talk. But I don’t know if that’s necessarily going to happen [in New Orleans].”
Probability Kerr plays Westbrook, Curry, Thompson, Green, and Durant together?
The odds Kerr plays his Death Lineup plus Westbrook are about the same odds DeMarcus Cousins attempts to go coast-to-coast during the All-Star Game at least once, and there’s about a 250 percent chance Boogie tries to boogie on his defenders one time.
So look forward to seeing that lineup on the floor at some point.
Odds it happens: 25/10











