Westbrook-George pairing intrigues ex-NBA stars
One day, Chauncey Billups wants to be an NBA general manager.
For now, the former Pistons great is an ESPN analyst and a point guard in the BIG3 professional three-on-three league. He’s also a basketball fan and a friend of Russell Westbrook’s, and it was in the latter capacities
that he pulled aside the Thunder guard Sunday at the BOK Center.
“I just told Russ, ‘I can’t wait,’” Billups said.
Because no matter what role he’s playing — fan, analyst, future frontoffice official — Billups is pumped for the pairing of Westbrook with small forward Paul George, the four-time All-Star the Thunder acquired this month in a trade with the Indiana Pacers.
“I love it, man,” Billups said. “Two of my favorite players in the league. Two two-way players. Two players that really want to win. I think it’s gonna be really exciting.”
The BIG3 hit BOK on Sunday, a summer fix for a state buzzing about basketball thanks in large part to the tandem of Westbrook — the NBA’s reigning MVP — with George in Oklahoma City.
Westbrook watched some of Sunday’s action, and the Thunder was a hot topic in the hallways off the court as some of the former NBA players taking part weighed in on Oklahoma City’s All-Star addition.
“It’s always great to play with other great players because it makes the game so much easier for you,” said Allen Iverson, the Hall of Famer who called Westbrook his favorite NBA player. “The way (Westbrook) plays the game, it kinda looks easy, but he’ll tell you it’s not easy. That’s how good he is. To the naked eye, to the fans, he makes it look easy. So imagine how it’ll make it look if he has great players around him.”
In winning the MVP last season, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a double digits in all three categories.
And though Westbrook was efficient, he also used a higher percentage of his team’s possessions than any player in the NBA. Having George — who averaged a careerhigh 23.7 points per game last season for the Pacers — should lighten some of Westbrook’s load.
That, in turn, could make the 2017-18 Thunder more of a threat than last season’s edition, which lost a five-game first-round playoff series to the Houston Rockets.
“For us, a lot of us, we’re all huge fans of Russell Westbrook,” said forward Al Harrington, one of the top players in the BIG3 and a 16-year NBA veteran. “Obviously you saw what he was able to do by himself on this team, but now him having that type of help, I think that they should be a force in the West. It won’t be an easy out like they was this year.”
There will be adjustments. In a phone interview last week, Hall of Famer Kevin McHale — now a Turner NBA analyst — said Westbrook and George will need time to forge “chemistry and symmetry” on the court.
But Billups said the two figure to have “an easy cohesion” given their styles of play.
“Paul George is one of those guys who can score without (handling) the basketball — back cuts, coming off down screens within the offense,” Billups said. “He doesn’t need to pound the ball the whole time to be able to score. He’s gonna have as many easy shots and plays as he’s had ever.”
Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler called the George trade a “great move” for the Thunder in the wake of Kevin Durant’s departure last summer in free agency.
With Durant and the Warriors looming in the Western Conference, teams around the league are “scrambling, trying to figure out ‘Who can we bring in? Who can we trade for?’” said former Timberwolves and Kings guard Rashad McCants.
The Thunder found its man in George, who can opt out of his contract at the end of this season if he chooses. Until then, he’s paired with Westbrook, giving the MVP a piece he lacked a season ago.
“We’ll see what (Billy) Donovan’s gonna do. We’ll see if he’s a good coach or not,” said forward Kenyon Martin, who played 15 NBA seasons and in 112 career playoff games. “I like the move. We’ll see if it’s for more than one year or not. Hopefully (George) will sign an extension and make that thing work, and they can make some noise in the West. They’re gonna need it.”