The feeling is very different in the Oklahoma City Thunder organization, as the last original member of the franchise is no longer there. Russell Westbrook, the last vestige of the organization that relocated from Seattle to OKC, is gone for good, and Steven Adams has noticed the palpable difference:

“Someone was there, and now they're not,” Adams said of Westbrook's departure, according to ESPN's Royce Young. “As morbid as this may sound, [it is] similar to someone passing away. But not like that. But you get the gist.

“You carry on, because life goes on, but little things come up, like a parking spot.

Westbrook was the heartbeat of the organization, and as simple or complicated as his departure can be summed up, nothing said will bring him back from the Houston Rockets — at least not this season.

Adams, who now parks in Westbrook's traditional spot at times, would be subject to the fury of the longtime franchise cog if he did that only a few months ago, before Russ was traded.

The Thunder have revolved around Westbrook ever since Kevin Durant departed in 2016, and the weight of that principle is felt throughout the organization, much like the thermostat, which has gone from icky-sweaty levels under Westbrook back to normal.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti knows how important Westbrook was to the franchise:

“Russell obviously had an unbelievable career here, and I think that's been well-documented,” said general manager Sam Presti. “And now there's opportunity for us to chart a new path.”

That new path will start with better parking accommodations for Adams, normal temperatures around the building and a looser locker room, no longer burdened with the high expectations of making the most of Westbrook's prime.