After the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to form a big three with Russell Westbrook, there were instant championship aspirations. However, as they are quickly finding out, having three All-Stars does not automatically lead to wins.
To begin the 2017-18 NBA season, the Thunder are currently 8-12. While there was optimism the win over the Golden State Warriors would give them confidence, they have lost three consecutive games to the Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks, and Orlando Magic since then. As they prepare for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Carmelo Anthony was asked about the idea of a starting lineup change according to Royce Young of ESPN:
Article Continues BelowCarmelo Anthony says the Thunder are angry, not frustrated and on the idea of a starting lineup change, “Hell no.” pic.twitter.com/2JEI0fKGwd
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) November 30, 2017
While there are growing concerns a quarter into the season, the consensus was it would take time for the Thunder to come together. With three All-Stars being their team's first options for their entire careers, it has been an adjustment for Westbrook, George, and Anthony.
After trying to get his new teammates comfortable in Oklahoma City in October, Westbrook has been more aggressive offensively in November. While it appears the Thunder are at their best when Westbrook is the team's first option, he will need to be more efficient as he is currently shooting 40.6 percent on 19.1 field goal attempts.