Warriors vs. Thunder isn’t a rivalry until Oklahoma City actually wins

Entering the season, the Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder matchup was one the world wanted to see.

Here was David vs. Goliath: Russell Westbrook running rampant with his cast of others against a proverbial group of Monstars, who somehow put an ex-MVP in Kevin Durant alongside the two-time and reigning award winner, Stephen Curry. Everyone, save for Warriors fans, pulled for the upset.

But Oklahoma City’s slingshot hasn’t been strong enough, and quite frankly, it never will be.

When Durant first returned to Oklahoma City on Feb. 11 as a member of the Warriors, the thought was simple: Maybe the emotions would carry Westbrook and the Thunder to an improbable victory over a powerhouse team that swiped their best player to compete for an NBA championship.

The Warriors had already bludgeoned the Thunder by 26 and 21 points, respectively, in their previous two matchups in Oakland. Maybe the emotional lift at home was what Oklahoma City needed to jet the team forward.

But the Thunder fell flat that game, too, falling behind by as much as 26 in an eventual 130-114 loss. They watched Kevin Durant go for 34 points on 57 percent shooting.

And if that defeat didn’t establish the big brother-little brother hierarchy out West, Golden State noogied Oklahoma City by sweeping the series, 4-0, on Monday with a 16-point win on the road. The Warriors did it without Durant, still sidelined by a knee injury, and led by as many as 27.

The Thunder never had the shooters the Warriors do, which has proven detrimental to Westbrook, as he pierces the lane with ease. As a result, they can’t run a motion or pace-and-space offense without threatening from downtown, and they certainly don’t exhibit the same cohesion defensively as Golden State.

Even if they had the shooters, the Thunder still wouldn’t have enough talent. Golden State has four All-Stars. Oklahoma City has one and not even the semblance of a second.

Not every team can compete with the best. If we learned anything this season, it’s that Westbrook needs help. Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott were a good start, but the Thunder need another All-Star — they need a Kevin Durant.

And until they get that All-Star to flank Westbrook, Warriors-Thunder will continue to be convincingly one-sided victories in favor of the better team.

That’s why Westbrook and Curry traded jabs on Monday with poor Semaj Christon caught in the crossfire. It’s why he and Durant exchanged pleasantries during their Feb. 11 matchup, and why Andre Roberson and his ex-teammate literally butted heads.

If the Thunder had a shot at winning the game, they’d let basketball do the talking.

Westbrook has been phenomenal in their four games against the Warriors, nearly averaging a triple-double at 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. But he’s shooting just 37 percent against the Warriors and turned the ball over eight times per game against them this season. On Monday, he shot just 4 of 16 for 15 points along with four fouls and five turnovers.

Oklahoma City has moved up the standings out West, which means we likely won’t get to see a Warriors-Thunder playoff series unless Westbrook knocks off the Spurs, Rockets, or Jazz in the first round. But that might be for the better.

Because the only thing worse than getting swept in a regular season series is having that same team sweep you in the playoffs.