National Basketball Association

Views from OKC: Westbrook may not start the All-Star Game

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:31 p.m. ET

Fansided, Tony Heim/FanSided via Thunderous Intentions

Jan 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) hugs Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) after the Rockets defeated the City Thunder at Toyota Center. Houston Rockets won 118 to 116. Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Views from OKC, Thunderous Intentions’ daily roundup of the best OKC Thunder stories across the web.New to Views from OKC? Glad to have you here, and I hope you’ll make this a daily destination. Well, let’s get started!

2017 sucks to be a Thunder fan

“As the second quarter waned, Westbrook’s hot start had voices at the Toyota Center tossing out over/unders on his final point total. Westbrook had 21 points in 15 minutes, including a scorching 6-of-7 first quarter in which he elevated over arch nemesis Patrick Beverley and any other set of defenders the Rockets threw at him.”

Westbrook was electric tonight…and it wasn’t enough. However, after the game I got blocked by both Yaman Khabbaz (a TI writer) and the official Thunderous Intentions twitter account.

BLOCKED https://t.co/zsc16TvA6P

— ThunderousIntentions (@thunderousint) January 6, 2017

I take nothing back. Russell Westbrook, overall, is a better player than James Harden. But his braziness was just too much for KD to handle in the long run. With Harden, the Thunder would have had two dynamic offensive weapons who are dangerous from three; that’s much easier to build around than the Yin and Yang that was KD and Westbrook. But I want to write a more in-depth piece about it, so stay tuned.

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But OKC is the best fit for Russell…

“So, keep the core, land a star in free agency and keep this train running … right? Well, no. For starters, Oklahoma City has never been a player in free agency. Oklahoma-born Blake Griffin’s name is connected to the Thunder for that reason, and it’s worth noting that OKC has had no indications — none — that Griffin is interested in coming home.”

Look, as a journalist it is important to view both sides. Personally I’m all about trading Westbrook as soon as possible. But at the same time, Chris Mannix makes a good point that in two-three years the NBA will be a different environment because of the new CBA. If that’s the case, he could be right; I’m just not sure this team will ever get there. Hopefully I’m just overreacting from this annoying three-game slide.

More from Thunderous Intentions

NOW I’M GOING TO DEFEND RUSS

“LeBron James and Kyrie Irving of the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers are the top two vote-getters overall, while Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors lead all Western Conference players in the first fan returns of NBA All-Star Voting 2017 presented by Verizon.”

If you are a bandwagon fan (which you probably aren’t because you’re reading about the Thunder) feel free to exit out. Bandwagon fans are the worst type of people. And bandwagon fans are voting Steph Curry to start over Russell freaking Westbrook in the All-Star game. Curry is great and all, but he’s not having the season of Russ. So Thunder Nation, it’s time to get to work and get Russ into the spot he so rightfully deserves.