Oklahoma City Thunder: Real contenders in the Western Conference?

Led by Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the look of a real title contender in the Western Conference

The Oklahoma City Thunder sit third in a fiercely contested Western Conference, but do they have a realistic chance of overthrowing the Golden State Warriors and reaching the NBA Finals?

As influential as Russell Westbrook is and has been, Paul George is undoubtedly the key to the Thunder’s title hopes. George is currently averaging a phenomenal 27.3 points per game this season. He’s having a career year and is rapidly turning into OKC’s go-to-guy in the clutch.

George is one of the best two-way players in the league and he is certainly living up to his Defensive Player Of The Year credentials as he leads the way in steals per game, averaging 2.3. George has hit some big game-winning shots this year and is by many standards, having an NBA MVP season.

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George showcased his ice cold nature in the recent 118-112 win against the team with the best record in the league, the Milwaukee Bucks. George put up a double-double with 36 points and 13 rebounds and put the icing on the cake with a huge dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo the seal the win. George is the pinnacle of a “3 and-D” player, and more. His constant ability to knock down contested 3-point shots has been extremely influential in the Thunder’s resurgence since their 0-4 start.

Last season, George was regarded by many pundits and fans as a streaky shooter, however this season there has been no signs of any of that in his game. He’s shooting at 40 percent from behind the arc, considerably higher than last season’s percentage.

Westbrook and George have duly earned their title as a dynamic duo, complimenting each other magnificently so far. Westbrook is top of the tree when it comes to assists per game and is once again averaging a triple-double. The ease that Westbrook gets his triple-double’s with is astounding as he has casually racked up 17 already this season. Westbrook is thriving with another superstar next to him and signs of his on the court relationship with Kevin Durant seem to be coming to back life with George at his side.

The deadliest side to Westbrook’s game this season has been his excellent pick-and-roll offense with Steven Adams and occasionally Nerlens Noel. His continuous capability to find the perfect pass for someone with a wide open three has also been key to Donovan’s gameplan this campaign.

Another huge positive this season for Billy Donovan‘s team is that they are head and shoulders above the rest of the league when it comes to steals per game as a ball club overall. The Thunder have 30 more steals (508) than the team behind them Phoenix Suns (474). The ability to consistently force turnovers and turn them into fast-break points is a huge bonus for OKC as they have shown they can be deadly on the fast break.

Players such as Westbrook, George and Dennis Schroder all have such a dynamic impact when running the floor. This is complimented nicely with the athleticism of the majority of the roster.

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It looks as though the Oklahoma City Thunder will secure a home seed for the playoffs, however it remains to be seen whether they can go all the way and upset the apple cart, defying all the odds to overcome the star-studded Warriors.

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