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It is the very first day of July. The Oklahoma City Thunder's star point guard, Russell Westbrook is hosting a house party, and the whole town is seemingly invited. Suddenly, Paul George takes the microphone from Westbrook and declares that he is “here to stay.”
George's decision to remain in OKC has proven to be the most consequential free agency moves–not involving Kevin Durant–in franchise history.
The 28-year-old, who was acquired in July of 2017 from the Indiana Pacers, has become an MVP candidate this season, posting 28.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists to go along with a league-leading 2.3 steals per game.
His resurgence has almost everything to do with the Thunder's recent ascension towards the top of the Western Conference.
But can he keep up this elite level of play?
Here are three pressing questions facing the Thunder after the All-Star Break:
1. Can PG13 sustain this excellence?
The Thunder won 11 of their last 13 before the break, almost all thanks to George. During that stretch, he averaged nearly 35.4 points and filled the stat sheets, including his first career triple-double in a win over Portland.
George has developed more of a reputation as a sniper in recent years, but this season he is shooting 9.6 threes per game–which is 1.9 more attempts per game than his prior career high–and still connecting at a 40 percent rate.
His Effective Field Goal percentage of 54.6 is also a career high, making this not only his most prolific but arguably his most efficient season yet.
All of this while being one of the best defenders in the league.
Can George maintain this level of excellence? Will the MVP conversation motivate him to play even better?
If the answers are affirmative, then the Thunder might be the greatest threat to the Golden State Warriors in the West.
And, on that note…
2. Where will the Thunder finish in the West?
Right now OKC is sits at 37-20 and the no. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
It seems unlikely that anyone other than the Warriors will capture the top overall seed, but catching the Nuggets seems far more manageable.
The Thunder are two games back of Denver, a team that is merely .500 on the road and faces a pretty tough two-week stretch to close out the regular season.
In a loaded West, the Thunder would love to guarantee having home court advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The four through seven seeds are all separated by just three games, so things are going to be tight and teams are going to be fighting for spots.
Oklahoma City needs to keep pace with Denver immediately after the break and stay in the hunt for a top-two seed.
3. Who else will emerge as a playmaker?
Sure, Russell Westbrook is having a very poor season shooting the basketball, especially from beyond the arc and at the charity stripe. And yes, he is averaging his fewest points per game since the 2013-14 season, when he played just 46 games.
But Westbrook still fills the stat sheet, and his willingness to sacrifice shot attempts and recognize George's influence on the offense is imperative to the Thunder's success.
And oh, by the way, he has posted 10 consecutive triple-doubles… an NBA record.
But aside from Russ and George, who can the Thunder rely on as playmakers?
Dennis Schroeder has been able to score the ball and stretch the floor. Steven Adams and Jerami Grant have been very efficient in the paint.
But Oklahoma City cannot afford to run five deep. It takes more than that to win in the West.
Perhaps Markieff Morris will add more scoring and toughness off the bench. Or maybe Terrance Ferguson can evolve beyond an athletic freak into a shot creator.
One thing is clear: the Thunder need more offensive playmakers if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs.
