Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook underwent an offseason procedure to fix a torn ligament in a finger on his left hand and a minor procedure on his right knee, the team announced (per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman).

Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young of ESPN.com first reported the news.

While the UCLA product has been durable in recent seasons, he missed the first two games of the 2018-19 campaign recovering from a knee injury and then missed time in November with an ankle injury.

This season broke his streak of three straight years playing at least 80 games.

Westbrook is one of the best players in the league and a primary reason the Thunder are contenders in the Western Conference picture. He won the league MVP in 2016-17, is an eight-time All-Star and two-time scoring champion and became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double across an entire season in 2017.

He averaged 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists last season, his third consecutive year with triple-double averages. 

Oklahoma City surely needs him back and healthy in time for the start of the 2019-20 regular season. Thankfully, there's no indication to believe Westbrook will be out to begin next year.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George will miss the start of his team's 2019-20 preseason training camp at minimum after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder, the team announced (per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman).

Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young of ESPN first reported the news.

George averaged a career-high 28.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this season. The All-Star was considered an MVP candidate before spending the latter half of the year dealing with a shoulder injury.

It caused a marked drop-off in performance, most notably with his shooting efficiency. He hit just 32.3 percent of his threes during the Thunder's first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers but mostly brushed off questions about his health.

"I think it came at a terrible time, especially [because] the team was rolling," George said of the shoulder injury. "We were playing good. I was holding up pretty, pretty, pretty good. I just thought it came at the wrong time, honestly. But again, I've never made no excuses on it. I was dealing with it for a long time throughout the season. It just got worse and worse as it went on.

"Injuries are part of the game," he added. "I've missed a season being hurt, so I was able to— the training staff assured me I was fine to play through it, and I will be fine going forward. I'd had no other thought in my mind but to be out there and play and ride it out with my guys."

George was the Thunder's best player throughout the regular season, and it was clear the shoulder was hampering him more than he was letting on. 

Russell Westbrook also underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left hand that he'd been dealing with the final six weeks of the regular season. The injury was never made public, and the level to which it affected Westbrook's game is unclear.

The 2016 NBA MVP also underwent a procedure on right knee that was considered "proactive maintenance." 

The Oklahoma City Thunder have bowed out of the playoffs in the first round the past three seasons, leading to questions about the job security of head coach Billy Donovan. 

But general manager Sam Presti "anticipates" Donovan will be back on the job in the 2019-20 campaign, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com.

"I wouldn't expect anything to change," Presti said, per Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. "There's nobody that works harder than him."

Donovan has gone 199-120 as the team's coach, leading the team to the playoffs in all four of his seasons. But since Kevin Durant departed in free agency, the Thunder haven't won a playoff series, losing in five games to the Portland Trail Blazers this year.

That has led to questions, and debate, about who is most responsible for those disappointing outcomes.

The Thunder have now gone three straight postseasons without making it out of the first round. @PaulPierce34 thinks OKC needs to get rid of Billy Donovan, while @DarthAmin says GM Sam Presti and Russell Westbrook are more to blame. pic.twitter.com/872TLKueEq

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 25, 2019

Should Presti shoulder the blame for the team's roster construction and for trading James Harden in 2012 and losing Durant in free agency? Donovan for not getting the most out of a team led by Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Steven Adams? Or perhaps Westbrook, who has posted gaudy stats but hasn't proven he can win without Durant?

All three can point to positives in their resumes, too. Presti traded for George and re-signed him. Donovan has never missed the playoffs as a head coach. Westbrook has averaged a triple-double in three straight seasons, an absurd accomplishment. 

But at some point, there will be accountability if the Thunder continue their playoff woes. For now, the triumvirate of Presti, Donovan and Westbrook remains. But if the same issues continue into the 2019-20 season, it may not remain for long.

Markieff Morris cast doubt on his potential return to the Oklahoma City Thunder during his exit interview Thursday.

While speaking with reporters, Morris praised the Thunder organization and said he'd be open to re-signing with Oklahoma City as long as his role increases, per the Oklahoman's Maddie Lee:

Markieff Morris, when asked about free agency, said if he’s playing the same minutes as he did this season, he’ll probably go elsewhere, but he’s loved pretty much everything else about the Thunder organization: pic.twitter.com/qapSxkw970

— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) April 25, 2019

The Thunder signed Morris in February after he moved from the Washington Wizards to the New Orleans Pelicans in a trade. The Pelicans quickly waived him, allowing him to pick his next destination.

Morris appeared in 24 games for OKC during the regular season, averaging 6.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 16.1 minutes. That represented a steep drop in playing time for the 29-year-old, who averaged 26.0 minutes in 34 games for the Wizards this season.

It'll be different for the Thunder to acquiesce to Morris' request since he's unlikely to supplant Jerami Grant as the starting power forward. At the same, general manager Sam Presti has to try to convince Morris to stick around.

The Thunder will be well above the salary cap in 2019-20, which significantly hampers Presti's ability to make any outside additions. Replacing Morris with a similar-caliber player wouldn't be easy.

Oklahoma City also needs as many three-point shooters as it can get to space the floor for Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook shot 36.0 percent from the floor and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc in the Thunder's first-round defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers. Unless Westbrook is willing to alter his approach, the Thunder will have to work around the weaknesses of their biggest star, which likely means replicating the four-out strategy the Milwaukee Bucks use to cover up Giannis Antetokounmpo's limited range.

Morris isn't one of the biggest free agents on the market this summer, but losing him could be a huge blow for Oklahoma City nevertheless.

The Oklahoma City Thunder conducted their exit interviews on Thursday following a 4-1 series loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and as usual, all eyes and ears were on Russell Westbrook.

The point guard spoke on a number of topics during the press conference, including the improvements he wants to make this offseason, the criticism he receives and his relationship with Paul George and head coach Billy Donovan:

Westbrook was asked other than jumpshooting, what he wants to improve on for next year: pic.twitter.com/o2FLy8sGuj

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Westbrook was asked what his "process" is if he's struggling shooting from a particular place on the floor and teams are giving him that shot: "There's no process. Shoot it. That's it."

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Westbrook was asked if he thinks it's strange he gets criticized as much as does despite having so much success through his career: pic.twitter.com/FA6elXikcO

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Russell Westbrook takes the 🎤

“There’s room for improvement every year...I expect a lot out of myself.”

On PG:
“Paul did an amazing job...was our best player. Ultimately the most important thing is our relationship off the floor, creating a friendship & brotherhood.” pic.twitter.com/vm0aYisZjh

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 25, 2019

Russell Westbrook on his relationship with Billy Donovan: "It's been good. Me personally, I've never had a problem with Coach Donovan."

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Backup guard Raymond Felton told reporters he doesn't appreciate how much scrutiny and criticism Westbrook faces.

"I think it's stupid," he said, per Royce Young of ESPN.com. "I don't like it."

George also took to the podium to discuss Westbrook and Donovan and provide a slight injury update on his shoulder:

Paul George was asked a great question by @clayhorning if he ever cringes at Westbrook not doing himself any favors with his interactions with media or whatever else: pic.twitter.com/HXnIdfNQ5H

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Paul George on knowing Russell Westbrook on a deeper level than the general public: pic.twitter.com/pfzAUJjtcQ

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

George on Billy Donovan: pic.twitter.com/GAgzjTTr4T

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Paul George says he'll address his shoulder situation "pretty soon." Says he wasn't in much pain in the playoffs. Asked specifically what it is, he doesn't want to discuss the injury.

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

Donovan, meanwhile, put the emphasis on improving going forward.

"We did some good things and now have to look and determine where we can improve," he said. "You go through these disappointments and go through struggles; I think you find out more about what you have to do to get better."

Nevertheless, there will be questions this offseason in Oklahoma City.

Is Donovan's job safe? How much blame does general manager Sam Presti receive for failing to build a roster capable of getting past the first round? Can the team continue to build around Westbrook, who has yet to win a playoff series since the departure of Kevin Durant in July 2016 and was thoroughly outplayed by Portland star Damian Lillard in this year's playoffs?

It will be fascinating to see how the Thunder answer those questions. The 2018-19 campaign was undoubtedly a disappointment after the excitement that followed last offseason, when George re-signed with the team. How the Thunder respond a year later will be a major storyline in what promises to be an intriguing NBA offseason.   

Russell Westbrook isn't going to lose any sleep after Damian Lillard outplayed him in the Portland Trail Blazers' 4-1 series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he told reporters Thursday:

Westbrook on the fallout from his back-and-forth with Damian Lillard, and what critics are saying about him now: pic.twitter.com/NhKnE0HQZ7

— Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 25, 2019

"When you do so much at a high level, a lot of haters come," Westbrook added, per Maddie Lee of the Oklahoman. "That's how life is." 

There was no denying the animosity between Lillard and Westbrook during their first-round series. Lillard, in particular, was not very fond of Westbrook's histrionics after made buckets, as he told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:

"I'm not even paying attention to it. But when I do see it, that's cool. He does it every game, so it doesn't bother me. I don't celebrate in someone's face and try to disrespect my opponent. But if a team calls a timeout, I'll go acknowledge the crowd and celebrate with my teammates as I'm going to the bench. I'm not going to say some wild s---. I think with him, he's pounding his chest and talking s--- and that's what gets him going. That's the difference between us.

Lillard had the last laugh, however. He averaged 33.0 points, 6.0 assists and 2.4 steals in the series, shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from three. He also famously hit an absurdly deep, dagger three in Paul George's face to close out the series.

And he literally waved goodbye to the Thunder in the aftermath:

"I was just waving goodbye to them." 👋

-Dame on his celebration after his buzzer-beater in Game 5. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RAkYu2OG0x

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 24, 2019

Westbrook, meanwhile, averaged 22.8 points, 10.6 assists and 8.8 rebounds per game but shot just 36.0 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from beyond the arc. There's little doubt Lillard got the better of the matchup, carving Oklahoma City's defense to shreds. 

After the OKC's poor showing in a series many believed it would win, there are serious questions about the ceiling and future of the current iteration of the team with Westbrook as the Thunder's dominant star. 

The Thunder have now gone three straight postseasons without making it out of the first round. @PaulPierce34 thinks OKC needs to get rid of Billy Donovan, while @DarthAmin says GM Sam Presti and Russell Westbrook are more to blame. pic.twitter.com/872TLKueEq

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 25, 2019

Regardless of what changes may come this offseason, Westbrook is ready to move forward after the early playoff exit.

"When you lose a series, everybody looks at series and says this is why you lost...but ultimately there are different things through the season that happen to you or the team," he said Thursday. "It's a combination of things. I will do what I need to do to stay consistent and be better."

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan said Thursday he expects to return next season after OKC was eliminated in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers.

Brett Dawson of The Athletic noted Donovan explained he's treating the situation as "business as usual" ahead of a meeting with general manager Sam Presti in the "coming days."

The 53-year-old New York native left the Florida Gators to become the Thunder head coach in 2015. It was his first coaching job at the NBA level after 26 years in the collegiate ranks.

Donovan guided Oklahoma City to a 55-27 record and an appearance in the Western Conference Finals during his first season in charge. Kevin Durant left OKC to join the Golden State Warriors after the 2015-16 campaign, however, and the team has failed to match that success in the three years since.

The Thunder have still managed to qualify for the postseason each of the last three seasons, but they were eliminated in the opening round of each by the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz and now the Blazers.

Their latest early exit has raised questions about whether the franchise needs a shakeup, either in terms of a coaching change or retooling a core currently led by Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

In particular, Westbrook has come under fire for a playing style that allows him to post monster numbers but may not be conducive to team success in the playoffs.

"Russell Westbrook has never been built for the postseason and there's three reasons why:

1) He doesn't adapt
2) He's difficult to coach
3) He's volatile... He's a liability to the franchise. He's one of the 10 worst contracts in sports." — @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/VDFdil2iPy

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 22, 2019

The 2017 NBA MVP shrugged off questions about his approach before the Game 5 loss to Portland that ended the Thunder's season.

"There's different ways, different aspects of my game has changed, the way I play, that changes," Westbrook told reporters. "But, my approach to the game has never changed."

Now Oklahoma City must decide how to move forward in hope of getting back closer to championship contention, and the conversation starts with deciding Donovan's job status.

The snapshots and GIFs and viral videos all captured some version of the same joyful scene Tuesday night: Damian Lillard, master of clutch time, connecting from 37 feet as the final buzzer sounded. Lillard, wryly waving buh-bye to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Lillard, mobbed by teammates and grinning.

Beyond the happy mayhem, in the distant background, another star silently strode away, shoulders slumped, never looking up.

If Lillard was a portrait of dynamism and precision and triumph, Russell Westbrook was his polar opposite—a picture of despair.

Both men earned their fate.

With a 50-point game and a buzzer-beater for the ages, Lillard powered the Portland Trail Blazers to a thrilling closeout victory and a trip to the Western Conference semis.

With his ghastly marksmanship and a fitful final stretch, Westbrook dragged the Thunder to another horrific first-round collapse.

His shooting line in Game 5: 31 shots, 11 makes. His totals for the series: 111 shots, 40 makes.

It's been three years since Kevin Durant severed his partnership with Westbrook and fled to Oakland. In that time, Westbrook has set fire to the record books, made triple-doubles routine, claimed a Most Valuable Player award and accomplished virtually nothing for his franchise.

The Thunder have yet to crack 50 wins in the Westbrook era—not even this season, with Paul George making his own MVP run. The Thunder have yet to win a playoff series in the Westbrook era. Their postseason record: 4-12.

"He's a transcendent player," a veteran Western Conference executive said, "but I'm not convinced he's a transcendent winner."

The failures are not Westbrook's alone, of course. The Thunder need more shooting, more depth. But what they need most is a franchise star who is willing to confront his shortcomings and adapt, and Westbrook has long resisted any such self-awareness.

"Now I do what I want," Westbrook sang after Durant left town, and so he has—shooting as much as he wants, from wherever he wants, results be damned.

Westbrook shot 29 percent on three-pointers this season—poor even by his standards—and yet he attempted 411 of them, the 40th-highest total in the league. Westbrook is among the league's most lethal rim attackers, and yet he keeps launching deep twos in transition and pull-up 26-footers in crunch time.

"When I've watched Russ play, I'm wowed at the effort and the energy that he puts into the game," said former NBA center Brendan Haywood, now an analyst for NBA Radio and NBA TV. "But I think there's another step, there's another layer that he needs to get to, and that is thinking the game—understanding that it's not just 'Go hard, play aggressive, play with a chip on my shoulder.' Sometimes you have to understand the defense and the game plan and attack the game a little bit differently. And I don't think that he's gotten that down just yet."

Of the 30 players who averaged at least 20 points per game this season, Westbrook ranked dead last in effective field-goal percentage, at 46.8. Widen the field to players with at least 15 points per game, and he's 69th of 70 players, sandwiched between Dennis Schroder and Andrew Wiggins, and behind such scoring legends as Jordan Clarkson, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jeremy Lamb.

For all his ferocity and pyrotechnics, Westbrook is a drag on his team's offense. The Thunder ranked 17th in offensive efficiency this season, despite having two of the league's top 15 players.

And now they're out of the playoffs, losing to a Blazers team with less star power and without its starting center. Before the series, 19 of 20 ESPN analysts predicted the Thunder would win the series. Instead, they were dispatched in a gentlemen's sweep.

"Clearly underperforming," an Eastern Conference team official said of the Thunder, citing the talent of Westbrook and George. "That alone should be enough to get out of the first round, and it's not happening."

No, it's not all on Westbrook. But every glitch in his game was on display Tuesday night. After playing a measured (and effective) game early on, setting up teammates and fueling an early Thunder lead, Westbrook reverted to old, bad habits. OKC blew a 15-point lead in the final eight minutes, with Westbrook misfiring from 19 and 21 feet, forcing tough shots in the paint and throwing the ball away on a critical late possession. Just as Lillard's mesmerizing buzzer-beater symbolized his night, so, too, did Westbrook's final play: a wild, barreling layup attempt that clanged off the rim with 18 seconds left.

"There's a difference between playing hard and playing to win," Haywood said. "I think that's the difference right now between Russ and Dame."

Survey scouts and analysts and former players, and the advice for Westbrook is generally the same: Either refine your jumper, or stop firing so many deep shots. Shoot less, pass more. Westbrook can collapse a defense anytime he wants to, which should provide plenty of open looks for teammates.

Westbrook's confidence and passion are admirable, but those qualities quickly bleed into overconfidence.

"I think that Russell has to take a step back," Charles Barkley said on the TNT broadcast late Tuesday. "He's always going 100 percent speed all the time."

To his credit, Westbrook dialed down his usage rate this season (to 30.1 from 32.5 last season) and gave more of the floor to George. But he still shoots at a rate that far exceeds his actual ability to convert. The Blazers defense repeatedly played off Westbrook, daring him to shoot, as if he were Tony Allen.

For a time, Westbrook's fierce charisma and passion charmed the world. But with every passing season and every premature playoff exit, his flaws become more pronounced—and the list of detractors grows.

"I wouldn't want to coach Russell Westbrook," ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, a former college coach, said on Tuesday's edition of Get Up. "As exciting, as tough, as physical, as competitive as he is, in the end, is he a winning player? … Can you win with a guy dominating the ball like that all the time?"

Even satirical news sites are crushing him now. "Dedicated Russell Westbrook Stays Late After Practice to Miss 100 Extra Shots," The Onion wrote this week.

Westbrook wove his stardom out of his athletic gifts, and it's possible those gifts are eroding. His free-throw rate—a ratio of free throws per field-goal attempt—dipped to a career-low 30.6 percent this season. He drew fewer fouls. He attacked less. His field-goal and free-throw percentages were down.

Given his age (30), his punishing style of play and his 11 seasons of heavy minutes, it's likely Westbrook is already past his peak.

"There's no debate," the analytics director for an Eastern Conference team said. "You just look at what his metrics are this year versus the past, and where his age is and the amount of minutes and style of play, and there's no debate."

Players who rely solely on athleticism often age poorly, with no broader skill set—shooting, playmaking, defense—to fall back on.

It all leaves Westbrook with a clear, almost-Darwinian choice: adapt or (metaphorically) die.

Three years ago, Durant fled town and Westbrook got everything he wanted: total control of the offense and the Thunder franchise. "Now I do what I want," he sang. Maybe it's time to do something different.

     

Howard Beck, a senior writer for Bleacher Report, has been covering the NBA full time since 1997, including seven years on the Lakers beat for the Los Angeles Daily News and nine years as a staff writer for the New York Times. His coverage was honored by APSE in 2016 and 2017.

 Beck also hosts The Full 48 podcast, available on iTunes.

 Follow him on Twitter, @HowardBeck.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard's 37-foot, buzzer-beating three sent the Blazers to the second round of the playoffs Tuesday, but Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Paul George felt it was a low-percentage attempt.

As seen in the following video from Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, George called the Lillard make that sent OKC packing in Game 5 of its first-round series a "bad shot."

Thunder's Paul George on defending deep game-winner by Blazers' Damian Lillard: "That's a bad shot. I don't care what anybody says. That's a bad shot. But, hey, he made it. That story won't be told, that it's a bad shot. You live with that." pic.twitter.com/21ueYAHHzY

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 24, 2019

With the game tied at 115-115 after the Thunder blew a 15-point lead, Lillard unleashed a long attempt that found the twine and advanced Portland to the second round for the first time since 2016:

After reading George's comment, Lillard took to Twitter to express his amusement:

Lol https://t.co/mtEmML4kKh

— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) April 24, 2019

Lillard joined some elite company with the shot, per ESPN Stats & Info:

It's Dame Time!

Damian Lillard is the second player with multiple game-winning 3-point buzzer-beaters in the playoffs over the last 15 postseasons, joining LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/mzWsceohPW

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 24, 2019

George was covering Lillard on the attempt, and while he was cautious in not allowing Lillard to dribble past him, he still managed to contest the shot.

Even so, Lillard sank it, giving him 50 points on the night and securing a 4-1 series win for Portland.

George is among the NBA's top defenders, with three NBA All-Defensive Team selections to his credit. During the 2018-19 regular season, George set career highs with 8.2 rebounds and an NBA-leading 2.2 steals per game as well.

Despite boasting the combination of George and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. When taking into account the pre-George era, that streak stretches to three years in a row.

Meanwhile, the Blazers have advanced to the second round, and they are looking like a legitimate threat to make it to the Western Conference Finals and potentially cause problems for the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets.

Lillard was already a four-time All-Star and was widely regarded as one of the best guards in basketball prior to the playoffs, but after his clutch three over an elite defender in George sent Portland to the second round, his legend and reputation are growing.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George told reporters that he believes his team can come back from a 3-1 deficit to the Portland Trail Blazers, who are one win away from clinching their NBA Western Conference first-round playoff series.

Paul George: "if there's a team to be down 3-1 and come back from it ... I think we're the team to do it" #Thunder pic.twitter.com/myDc1iZ8Ha

— Nate Feken (@TheGreat_Nate) April 23, 2019

According to Jeff Smith of Thunder Wire, 11 NBA teams have come back from 3-1 deficits, with the most recent instance occurring when the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

The Thunder's task will be difficult, however, as they will need to beat the Trail Blazers in Portland twice in addition to holding serve at home once to accomplish the feat.

Still, a comeback isn't implausible. The Thunder beat Portland in its own building twice during the regular season en route to sweeping their regular-season series, 4-0.

It's also possible nightly triple-double threat and 2016-17 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook simply takes this series over en route to a comeback.

However, Oklahoma City won't be advancing to the second round unless its shooting improves. The team is hitting just 41.3 percent of its field goals and 30.8 percent of its three-pointers.

The Thunder also must find a defensive answer for the Blazers' starting backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, which is averaging a combined 55.1 points per game. Portland has also been lights-out from deep, hitting 41.5 percent from three-point range.

The Blazers entered Game 5 against the Thunder on Tuesday as 4.5-point favorites, per Vegas Insider.