IF the Thunder kept PG/Westbrook

OrangeBlueSkies · Post #1 » by **OrangeBlueSkies** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 2:57 pm

we could assume Kawhi joins the lakers... how good can PG/Westbrook be this season? Top 3 in the West? Just curious as most of the "good" teams this upcoming season have a 1-2 punch.

jimmy keys · Post #2 » by **jimmy keys** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:07 pm

OrangeBlueSkies wrote:we could assume Kawhi joins the lakers... how good can PG/Westbrook be this season? Top 3 in the West? Just curious as most of the "good" teams this upcoming season have a 1-2 punch.

Not as good as the Lakers with Kawhi that's for sure.

Myth · Post #3 » by **Myth** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:07 pm

About the same as they were this past season would be my prediction.

BallerTalk · Post #4 » by **BallerTalk** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:14 pm

OrangeBlueSkies wrote:we could assume Kawhi joins the lakers... how good can PG/Westbrook be this season? Top 3 in the West? Just curious as most of the "good" teams this upcoming season have a 1-2 punch.

Nah, the Clippers would have just kept shopping around until they found someone willing to deal.
Contrary to how they are trying to spin it now, it wasn't Paul George and only Paul George. They knocked on a number of doors before the OKC deal started cooking.

That said, the duo of Westbrook and PG in OKC had shown little to suggest they would be much better than they have the last two seasons.

Drygon · Post #5 » by **Drygon** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:18 pm

OKC became joke of a franchise in the playoffs since Kevin Durant left them lol.

Westbrook/PG aren't capable to lead OKC anywhere.

JN61 · Post #6 » by **JN61** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:26 pm

If Robertson comes back fine they would have been 2nd round exit and maybe West finals if they lucky. In the end not good enough.

Also we don't know how good George will come back so that's question mark.

But I think we all can agree both Westbrook and George have better chances in their current teams which is interesting.

First Take · Post #7 » by **First Take** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:38 pm

Trash. You can't have two guys making max money getting bounced out in round 1.

Ice Trae · Post #8 » by **Ice Trae** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:50 pm

JN61 wrote:If Robertson comes back fine they would have been 2nd round exit and maybe West finals if they lucky. In the end not good enough.

Also we don't know how good George will come back so that's question mark.

But I think we all can agree both Westbrook and George have better chances in their current teams which is interesting.

Post #9 » by **ThunderBolt** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:52 pm

About the same as last year is the best case scenario, likely worse. Even if guys like Roberson return, Ferguson improves and you sign shooters like Burks and Muscala, you still have George coming off two should surgeries and russ' steady decline.

HoopsterJones · Post #10 » by **HoopsterJones** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 3:52 pm

What if they kept Harden/KD/Westbrook?

Post #11 » by **MoneyTalks41890** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 4:03 pm

They were already trending towards thoroughly mediocre improvements like Burks and Muscala, which Presti was for some reason super excited about. All indications were that they would not be much better if at all.

Hindenburg · Post #12 » by **Hindenburg** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 4:13 pm

Paul George pretty much saved Presti's job. They were a definition of a treadmill team. Maxed out, three straight 1st round exits, no direction at all, Westbrook getting worse each year. They would have probably been bounced out of the 1st round again had they kept intact. Presti would have been canned.
Instead now they offloaded Westbrook's giant contract, got tons of picks and good young assets for George and are about to get some more for Adams.

HotelVitale · Post #13 » by **HotelVitale** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 4:42 pm

Hindenburg wrote:Instead now they offloaded Westbrook's giant contract, got tons of picks and good young assets for George and are about to get some more for Adams.

Yeah but they're now entering a rebuild without any blue-chip assets and with only SGA as a young future starter (I know Ferguson has a chance but can't count on that now). The picks etc they got back from Westbrook, PG, and possibly Adams/Gallinari will be late round or else won't be coming for years--so they're not in a great spot for a rebuild and the next 5 years could be pretty ugly.

Presti also already had a ton of good will built up as the architect of ten+ years of OKC success and excitement and I don't know that he would've been on the hot seat really. He's also obviously been really good at making good and creative moves and I don't think that owners are stupid enough to blame a smart GM for lack of success even if the GM is doing a very good job with individual moves; you often have to consider that with coaches because something needs to change to shake things up, but you don't need to do it with GMs. Are Pop+Buford on the hot seat when the Spurs get bumped in the 1st rd (or don't make the PO) this year?

Lalouie · Post #14 » by **Lalouie** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 6:26 pm

OrangeBlueSkies wrote:we could assume Kawhi joins the lakers... how good can PG/Westbrook be this season? Top 3 in the West? Just curious as most of the "good" teams this upcoming season have a 1-2 punch.

okc was always spinning it's wheel getting a third star, so they'd be the same

macNcheese3 · Post #15 » by **macNcheese3** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 6:28 pm

I don't think the Thunder would or were good enough to goto the finals with Westbrook/PG.
Further, if Kawhi went to the LAL, the Thunder would get swept in my opinion.

Lalouie · Post #16 » by **Lalouie** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 6:34 pm

jimmy keys wrote:
OrangeBlueSkies wrote:we could assume Kawhi joins the lakers... how good can PG/Westbrook be this season? Top 3 in the West? Just curious as most of the "good" teams this upcoming season have a 1-2 punch.

Not as good as the Lakers with Kawhi that's for sure.

was there ever proof positive if not the clips, kawhi would've joined the lakers???

he met with magic and that wasn't enough to convince him. he wanted to sign with the clips. that he told the clips if they wanted him they needed to get pg but it was never certified that no pg no clips. for all we know kawhi may have been forcing the clips to not stand pat and makes definitive moves. doesn't necessarily means he DEFINITELY WOULD NOT have signed with the clips.

ino, kawhi's priorities were,,,,
1...playing in la
2...having his own team
3...playing with the clips
4...playing with pg

i never read anything more than just the meeting with magic johnson. it sure felt like it was the clips all along and that he just used his influence to grab pg. he had already talked to pg before making the demand

the real question is, what if pg said no.

miamiheat319 · Post #17 » by **miamiheat319** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 6:52 pm

Ice Trae wrote:
JN61 wrote:If Robertson comes back fine they would have been 2nd round exit and maybe West finals if they lucky. In the end not good enough.

Also we don't know how good George will come back so that's question mark.

But I think we all can agree both Westbrook and George have better chances in their current teams which is interesting.

Thank you

Effigy · Post #18 » by **Effigy** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 7:20 pm

There's actually a great reference you can consult for your question, OP. It's called the 2017-2018 NBA season. Check it out.

Curmudgeon · Post #19 » by **Curmudgeon** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 7:22 pm

They'd be on the same treadmill they were on before.

jimmy keys · Post #20 » by **jimmy keys** » Fri Oct 4, 2019 11:49 pm

Lalouie wrote:
jimmy keys wrote:
OrangeBlueSkies wrote:we could assume Kawhi joins the lakers... how good can PG/Westbrook be this season? Top 3 in the West? Just curious as most of the "good" teams this upcoming season have a 1-2 punch.

Not as good as the Lakers with Kawhi that's for sure.

was there ever proof positive if not the clips, kawhi would've joined the lakers???

he met with magic and that wasn't enough to convince him. he wanted to sign with the clips. that he told the clips if they wanted him they needed to get pg but it was never certified that no pg no clips. for all we know kawhi may have been forcing the clips to not stand pat and makes definitive moves. doesn't necessarily means he DEFINITELY WOULD NOT have signed with the clips.

ino, kawhi's priorities were,,,,
1...playing in la
2...having his own team
3...playing with the clips
4...playing with pg

i never read anything more than just the meeting with magic johnson. it sure felt like it was the clips all along and that he just used his influence to grab pg. he had already talked to pg before making the demand

the real question is, what if pg said no.

It was the OP who assumed he would have signed with the Lakers not me. Personally I think the Clips got played a bit this summer by Kawhi. I think he would have signed either way, they just didn't want to take the chance he wouldn't.