The Oklahoma City Thunder are a pretty good team.
Led by Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City is 31-24, which is impressive given the fact they lost Kevin Durant in the off season. They are 19-8 at home, third in the league in rebounds and a likely playoff team in the Western Conference. The Thunder also trailed the Washington Wizards by 34 points in the third quarter on Monday.
After starting 6-12 to start the season, superstar point guard John Wall and company are now 33-21 and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games. They also lead the Southeast Division, which they haven’t won since 1979. One question remains: What the hell happened in the past few months?
Early in the season, during their putrid start, a rumor arose about the Wizards trading Wall for assets and effectively starting over in the upcoming draft. I was one of many who pondered the possible deal as a viable way for the team to restart and build for a new future as a dismal start to the season was already underway.
Things didn’t seem possible to fix. The stars disliked each other, according to multiple reports. Wall and backcourt mate Bradley Beal were unhappy with each other’s play, and their despondency spread through the entire squad.
Yes, the bench is still rotten, but the starting five has been so magnificent that the glaring flaws are less magnified for now. This isn’t a championship team because it doesn’t have the full-squad talent to beat the Warriors, Cavaliers or Spurs, but this is a team that can make some noise in the playoffs, which brings us to a crucial point.
Sometimes you don’t have to win the whole shebang to have a successful season.
Washington basketball has been a mecca of sadness in the past few years. Injuries, strife and more injuries have turned a pretty nice roster into an underachieving behemoth.
However, this season has been fun. Wall and Beal have shown flashes of brilliance. Coach Scott Brooks has done wonders with a depleted roster. Wingman Otto Porter has become one of the best 3-point shooters in the league.
Watching this team night in and night out is no longer a depressing experience — looking at you, New York Knickerbockers.
Instead, the Wizards are a team that can beat any opponent on any given night. Going to or watching a game is no longer a chore but an experience.
Their only loss in the past 10 games is to basketball cheat-code Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wizards lost 140-135 after James hit a buzzer-beater game-tying 3-pointer to send it into overtime.
Cleveland ultimately outlasted Washington. It was a really tough loss, but it was fun.
With the recent influx of sabermetrics and analytics, it seems that there’s a strong impulse to tear down basketball teams when there’s no chance for a championship. I understand the instinct, but at the end of the season there’s only going to be one team wearing the crown.
Might as well have some fun in the meantime, even if there’s no trophy on the horizon.
gigottfr@indiana.edu
@gott31
