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There isn't a star player in the NBA who is currently under more scrutiny than Russell Westbrook. Not LeBron James. Not Kevin Durant. Not Kyrie Irving. Nobody.
Following a third straight first-round playoff exit, many are now questioning just how good Westbrook really is and whether or not the Oklahoma City Thunder can actually win a championship with him on the roster.
On top of that, the way Westbrook has managed the media has also raised some hairs, as his constant “next question” responses to particular reporters have not been well-received.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti still stands behind his point guard, but he does think he should handle some things differently:
“Russell Westbrook has been here 11 years,” said Presti, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. “The reason there's so many people in the room and so many watching is Russell Westbrook has helped us achieve a certain level. With all that being said, he's not perfect. None of us are. I'm not going to let 11 years of his contributions and performance be overshadowed by a couple of pretty tough months. As a leader of the team and face of the franchise, we'll have those conversations. Would we prefer he handled a few things differently? Yeah, we've talked about that. He made an adjustment to that particular approach and I think that's a sign of growth.”
There is a whole lot to chew on in that statement, and while Presti is obviously expressing support for Westbrook, you can tell that he also has some trepidation about his All-Star and wants him to change his ways a bit going forward.
Obviously, the Thunder don't seem to be planning on trying to trade Westbrook, like some have called for, but Presti's quote on his floor general is also not exactly a ringing endorsement.
This will definitely be an interesting situation to monitor as things progress.
