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Earlier in the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked like the second-best team in the Western Conference.
The Houston Rockets were struggling to find their footing, the Denver Nuggets were an upstart team that not many people took all that seriously a as a legitimate contender and teams like the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz have never really been considered upper echelon squads.
But, since the All-Star break, things have changed.
The Rockets have surged in the standings, the Nuggets have maintained an impressive level of consistency (except against the Golden State Warriors) and both the Blazers and Jazz have been red hot.
As for the Thunder? They have plummeted in the Western Conference and currently sit in seventh place with just four games to play.
The team that looked like a lock to win 50 games now can't finish any better than 49-33, and there is a chance that they end up having to face the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.
So, the question is, what does this upcoming seven-game series against whomever Oklahoma City's opponent may be mean for Russell Westbrook's legacy?
Remember: a year ago, the Thunder were bounced in the first round by a Jazz team that had no business beating the Thunder on paper, much less doing so in six games.
But, Utah won the series, and Westbrook fell under harsh criticism for his inefficiency. Even with Paul George as his teammate, Westbrook could not get the job done against a Jazz club that was far inferior in terms of talent.
This was the year things were supposed to change. George was having an MVP-caliber season, and while Westbrook's shooting percentages were horrific, he was improving as a defender, and his awesome net rating coupled with the fact that OKC was winning games was making his inefficiency almost negligible.
Now, though, with the Thunder falling fast and hard in the standings over the better part of the last two months, Westbrook's sometimes caustic style of play is taking center stage, and if Oklahoma City bows out in the first round yet again, you can bet the critics will become loud and fierce.
On the surface, Westbrook's numbers this season look great. He is going to average a triple-double for the third straight year and is leading the league in assists with 10.5 dimes per game. He just had a 20-20-20 game a few nights ago. He is still an incredibly fun player to watch.
But then you look at little deeper, and you see problems. Like the fact that he is shooting just 42.6 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from three-point range, and, for some inexplicable reason, 65.7 percent from the free-throw line. He is also averaging just .119 win shares per 48 minutes, his lowest mark since his second year in the league back in 2010.
Of course, Westbrook has never been known for his efficiency, but this season, he is taking it to a whole different level, and his inability to consistently put the ball in the hoop is costing the Thunder dearly down the stretch.
Think about this for a second: what if OKC ends up playing Golden State in the first round? Can you imagine the storylines of Westbrook loses to Kevin Durant? As if Durant hasn't been vindicated in his decision to leave Oklahoma City already, that would just serve as the final cherry on top.
Or what if the Thunder end up playing the Rockets or the Nuggets in the opening round and lose to one of those two teams? In all honesty, Oklahoma City should beat Denver, as the Thunder have experience on their side, so if OKC loses a potential series to Denver, there would be no excuses, and Westbrook—pending his performance, of course—would be eviscerated.
And if the Thunder lose to Houston? It would be somewhat understandable, as James Harden is doing things that people have never even seen this season, but it still wouldn't look great for Westbrook, especially if the Thunder lose in six games or less.
The funny thing is, I think the Thunder are actually the Warriors' biggest “threat” (if there is one) in the Western Conference. With the length of guys like Westbrook and George and the toughness of bigs such as Steven Adams and Markieff Morris, I actually think Oklahoma City could give Golden State some problems in a seven-game series.
Can the Thunder beat the Dubs? Probably not, but I think they can push them to six games, but the question is, will Westbrook and Co. even get a chance to do that? Or will someone like Denver or Houston bounce them in round one?
Look: no matter how it occurs, if Westbrook loses in the first round again, it will be difficult for him to ever recover. It's obvious that the 30-year-old is declining and is not the same player he was a couple of years ago, so I'm not sure how many more shots he will get to seriously contend.
Taking that into consideration, it will be very hard for Russell Westbrook to avenge yet another early playoff exit, as this would be his third straight.
Two years ago? It was understandable. It was basically Westbrook against the world, although it didn't look too good for Russ that Victor Oladipo went to the Indiana Pacers and became an All-Star the very next year.
Still, you can see why Westbrook was unable to make it past the first round in 2017. But last spring? Sorry, but there are no excuses for losing to the Jazz, and if Westbrook goes home after round one again this season? Again, no excuses, because even if it does come against the title-favorite Warriors, then that would mean that Westbrook should have done more during the regular season to have ensured that the Thunder didn't have to face the Dubs that early.
I'm not sure there is a star player in the league with more to prove in this postseason than Westbrook. Harden? Maybe. Kyrie Irving? He already has a ring, so I'm not so sure. Giannis Antetokounmpo? Nah. He's still a baby in the grand scheme of things.
But Russell Westbrook? He has been around long enough to know how this works.
If the Thunder bow out in the first round again, Westbrook's legacy will take a hit. And I'm not sure it would ever recover.
