Russell Westbrook is back and possibly better than ever, and now the long climb officially begins for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they attempt to re-insert themselves as a contender in the loaded Western Conference.
In Friday night’s 105-78 home rout over the Knicks, Westbrook put up 32 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 24 minutes — making him the first player in the shot-clock era to score at least 32 points and eight assists in a timeframe that short.
Westbrook showed absolutely no ill effects from the fractured right hand that sidelined him for 14 games over four weeks, shooting 12-of-17 from the field and 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Though his season sample is admittedly small (three games), his PER is a currently at a completely-ridiculous mark of 47.2.
“My job as a point guard is to come out every game, bring the energy, the competitive spirit and hope my teammates follow,” Westbrook told ESPN‘s Royce Young. “That’s a part of my job, and that’s what I try and do for this team.”
Now, the bad news. Even with the win, the Thunder sit at 5-12 and in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference. Right now, the eighth and final playoff spot would go to Phoenix, which has a 10-7 mark and a .588 winning percentage. Extrapolated over the full season, that would mean at least 48 wins are needed to make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive West.
To get to that level, the Thunder need to go at least 43-22 (.662 winning percentage) the rest of the way. To put it in perspective, only four teams in the entire NBA won at a clip that high a season ago. Making matters worse, Kevin Durant remains out for at least the next week or two, it seems — though he has recently begun participating in practices on a limited basis.
It’s certainly not impossible for the Thunder to claw their way out of this hole. After all, at 59-23 (.720), they were one of the teams who won well above the aforementioned clip a season ago. But the margin of error is very small after the early rash of injury-related losses, and they know it.
“We have to play with a sense of urgency every night,” Westbrook said. “I think now we’ve got to come and play every game like [it is] our last. We’ve got a lot of guys coming back and we’ve got to be ready to play.”
The Thunder now have a few days off before returning to action on Tuesday night in New Orleans, where they’ll face off against an Anthony Davis-led Pelicans squad that currently ranks 11th in the West with a 7-7 record. As such, they’re one of the many teams Oklahoma City must leapfrog if they want to return to the postseason.
So even in early December, it’s going to be a very meaningful game. Fortunately for the Thunder, they now have one of their two superstars back, and he already appears to be firing on all cylinders.
STOUDEMIRE RIPS KNICKS’ EFFORT AFTER LATEST BLOWOUT LOSS
While the vibe was quite positive in the home locker room after that Thunder-Knicks game, it was a very different story in the visitor’s room, where the Knicks reflected on a third consecutive loss that dropped them to 4-13.
On the surface, it’s an understandable loss. The Knicks remain without Carmelo Anthony (back spasms), and with Westbrook returning for the Thunder, Oklahoma City simply had a better roster. They were also at home.
But from a practical standpoint, the Knicks didn’t even compete. They were down 40-13 after barely over a quarter and eventually trailed by as many as 37. And Amar’e Stoudemire, one of the team’s elder statesmen, seems to have seen enough. Via Mark Berman of the New York Post:
“They played like they wanted it more,’’ Stoudemire said of the Thunder. “At this point, I don’t see how a team wants it more than we do. It’s unacceptable. We should be in desperation mode. We’re a team that’s fighting for a win. Right now we got to have a higher sense of urgency and more enthused and mentally involved.’’ …
“[Oklahoma City] came out with a lot of energy and it seems as if we got taken back by that,’’ Stoudemire said. “We have to have a lion’s heart and can’t be afraid of teams coming out and playing with that type of aggressiveness. We have to retaliate.” …
“It’s intensity level at this point,’’ Stoudemire said. “The learning process is there. We can’t keep saying we’re learning. We’re learning. Teams want it more than we do. We can’t say we’re still learning. We can’t say we had an off night shooting. That happens, but you can still win the ballgame with defense. We have to become students of the game and become masters of our craft.’’
It’s certainly not yet a lost season for the Knicks. Even at 4-13, the weak state of the Eastern Conference means they’re just 3.5 games behind Indiana for the final playoff spot. But the Pacers have been hit by injuries even more so than the Knicks, and their effort has remained excellent — as shown by their double-digit road win in Dallas earlier this week. If the Knicks want to make a push, Stoudemire has a very valid point that the team’s intensity must improve significantly.
New York returns home on Sunday to host the 8-7 Miami Heat.
OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE NBA
Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan suffered a torn left adductor longus tendon (groin injury) during Friday night’s loss to Dallas, the Raptors announced on Saturday. There is no timetable for his return to basketball activity.
DeRozan was the leading scorer (19.4 points/game) for Toronto, which remains the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference at 13-3.
The Raptors next play on Sunday night against the Lakers in Los Angeles.
The injury situation also continues to get worse in Houston, with reserve (and recently starting) point guard Isaiah Canaan out for at least a few days with a sprained left ankle. He suffered the injury in Friday’s loss to the Clippers.
Canaan, a Murray State standout, was seen on crutches and in a walking boot after Friday’s game, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
It’s becoming a dire situation for the Rockets, who are already without starting point guard Pat Beverley for the foreseeable future. Beverley strained his hamstring three times in the season’s first three eeks, and the Rockets say they’re committed to keeping him out as long as needed to let it fully heal and prevent it from becoming a season-long issue.
And with Canaan now out as well, they may be forced to start second-round rookie Nick Johnson at point guard, assuming they hold Jason Terry in his preferred role as sixth man.
Despite all those issues, the Rockets somehow remain at 12-4 and tied for the No. 3 spot in the West, even with three starters — Beverley, Dwight Howard (knee) and Terrence Jones (leg-nerve injury) — out for significant periods. Counting Canaan, they’re now missing four of the top eight rotation players.
Canaan, Beverley and Jones did not travel with the Rockets to Milwaukee for Saturday night’s game. Howard is with the team but still listed as doubtful.
Chicago’s Jimmy Butler is one of the surprise stories of the 2014-15 NBA season, averaging a team-high 21.6 points to lead the Bulls along ith 5.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists (21.9 PER). Already known as a standout defender, Butler could get major money as a restricted free agent next summer if those numbers hold over the full season.
He knows it, too.
That’s why, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Butler declined a four-year, $40-million extension offered by the Bulls earlier this year.
According to a source, Butler turned down a four-year, $40 million-plus offer from the Bulls. After watching Klay Thompson get the max four-year, $70 million contract from the Warriors, Butler was willing to test the market as a restricted free agent and force the Bulls to make the tough decision.
With Butler restricted, the Bulls will surely make it known that they’ll match any offer. But that didn’t stop restricted swingmen like Chandler Parsons and Gordon Hayward from finding max offers in 2014 free agency, and Butler’s level of play right now is significantly higher than both.
The Bulls can keep Butler regardless, but they may regret not making a higher bid before the season — somewhere between their $40-million offer and the max deal that Butler may now be poised to receive.
Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for both SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.