When Paul George opted to stay with the Thunder in the offseason, not a few quarters found cause to shake their heads. It wasn’t simply because he backed out of a plan to move to the hometown Lakers at the earliest possible opportunity. More importantly, it was because his decision meant he would continue his far-from-perfect partnership with far-from-perfect Russell Westbrook. He had just come off a campaign in which the Thunder failed to advance past the first round, with the Jazz, headlined by a rookie, showing in no uncertain terms their propensity to underwhelm when the going got tough.
Fast forward to the present, and George isn’t merely laying all the second-guessing to rest. He’s doing so emphatically, leading the Thunder to a heady 37-19 slate that has them third in the West and sporting a point differential only the powerhouse Warriors can trump. The operative word, to be sure, is “leading,” because it’s no easy feat given Westbrook’s ubiquitous presence. The former Most Valuable Player’s ball-dominant style of play has been both good and bad — and, as Kevin Durant’s departure in 2016 proved, frustrating — for fellow All-Stars. And yet he stayed, gladly.
In justifying the career move, George pointed to the Thunder’s commitment to winning and, significantly, to Westbrook’s giving nature. The triple-double machine, he argued, was misunderstood and miscast as a selfish headliner who sucked the air out of everybody else. In this regard, he expressed confidence that time would make the truth apparent. Which brings fans to the present, basking in the success the one-two punch has engendered and confidently eyeing more. And, yes, the pecking order has changed.
Perhaps George would have wrested alpha-dog status regardless of circumstance. His progression into a bona fide MVP contender has been so marked as to lend it an air of inevitability. Yet, it’s fair to contend that the changing of the guard would not have been as smooth were Westbrook unwilling to cede the reins. In any case, his is the head that wears the crown, the responsibility to produce in the crunch and, at the same time, stop the opposition’s best from doing the same. And, to his credit, he has delivered on his promise.
The numbers don’t lie. The Thunder have claimed 11 of their last 12 outings, with George putting up remarkable stat lines. Yesterday, they blitzed the Blazers, invariably rude hosts, on the road off triple-doubles from their two stalwarts. The Team Giannis starter’s output was highlighted by 47 points, upping to an astounding 36 his per-game norm during their run. Little wonder, then, that he’s all smiles when he says he’s right where he should be: on the red carpet that Westbrook rolled out, en route to the throne that bears his name.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
