Promising Thunder
There will be more hurdles to come. Getting three stars used to being the focal point to wholly subscribe to the collective isn’t easy, so bumps are to be expected. Nonetheless, the progress the Thunder made cannot be denied; their defense was stout and t
The Thunder were understandably upbeat in the aftermath of their victory over the Clippers the other day. For the first time since the season through which they were projected to rank highly began, they trumped a West foil; seen to crowd the powerhouse Warriors at the top, they instead sputtered to a zero-six slate against conference rivals. And so they viewed their latest conquest as their finest so far in their young campaign.
The Thunder had cause to celebrate, to be sure. The Clippers were legitimate threats with a retooled offense starting point forward Blake Griffin, never mind the three- game losing streak, and looked to be the type of opponents that hitherto befuddled them in the crunch. For all the talent at their disposal, they showed potential only in spurts and lacked consistency under pressure. Which was why they saw their win as a welcome step forward; they excelled with the match on the line versus strong competition.
Granted, one positive outcome does not a success make. And as seemingly bent on meritocracy as Thunder were against the Clippers, their next challenge could well get them to regress. After all, it’s comforting for superstars to believe in self more than in others, especially in light of a proven track record. Still, there can be no discounting the way they clicked. Russell Westbrook chucked blinders and Carmelo Anthony avoided being a black hole, allowing Paul George to keep riding on a hot hand and the rest to contribute accordingly.
There will be more hurdles to come. Getting three stars used to being the focal point to wholly subscribe to the collective isn’t easy, so bumps are to be expected. Nonetheless, the progress the Thunder made cannot be denied; their defense was stout and their offense lived up to potential. If nothing else, their sterling finish against the Clippers highlighted the promise they hold.
They showed their best. Their best is yet to come.