Yes, the Thunder choked away the Western Conference finals
Let's make one thing very clear right off the bat: Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are not chokers.
That label implies a degree of consistently coming up short that the Oklahoma City Thunder have not yet attained. Westbrook and Durant are two of the very best players in the NBA. Without them, the Thunder would be the Orlando Magic or, worse, the Brooklyn Nets. Gross.
But there's no denying the fact that the Thunder choked away the 2016 Western Conference finals.
How else to explain Game 7, when Oklahoma City displayed all of the poise of a kindergartener desperately in need of a nap? Or the last three games of the series, for that matter? Give all the credit in the world to the Golden State Warriors. They clawed back from a titanic 3-1 deficit to claim victory and defend their title. But the Thunder were awful in the clutch in Games 5, 6 and especially 7. If they'd showed just the slightest bit of confidence as things went sideways with the games on the line, we'd be preparing for a rematch between LeBron James and the Thunder.
Actually, scratch that. In Game 7, the Oklahoma City decision-making wasn't just awful in the closing minutes; it was atrocious throughout. Start with Westbrook, who gambled the Thunder right out of a shot at the NBA Finals. Every other time Golden State had the ball, Westbrook got caught trying to reach around a Warriors player or jumping into a passing lane, giving the home team wide open looks at the rim and from deep.
Then there was Durant, who represented everything that went wrong for the Thunder in their three consecutive losses. There's a fine line between trusting your superstars and having your offense devolve into miserable hero-ball in the playoffs. Oklahoma City did a fine job of treading that line for the first four games. But with the Warriors on the ropes, Oklahoma City seemed desperate to have Durant carry the day. And with the playcalling lacking in creativity, Durant was pretty bad in the last two games of this series. He forced himself into contested jumpers and seemed disinterested in making use of any screen that wasn't a pindown at the elbow. As a result, his team is headed home for the summer.
The problem with the Thunder is what makes them so great. They operate at 100,000 miles per hour at all times. When they're winning, it's overwhelming for the opponent. But as soon as things start to go wrong, Oklahoma City overwhelms itself with indecision, recklessness and an inability to settle down and lock in on defense. We saw it repeatedly as the Warriors staved off elimination, in large part thanks to the Thunder's own efforts.
Now, you might argue that the Thunder didn't choke because no one expected them to get this far. The Warriors won 73 games. They're arguably the best team in NBA history. How could losing to that team be considered choking?
That's fine, but again -- the Thunder had a 3-1 series lead! And they'd shown through four games that they were likely the superior team. They had size to bother Golden State's "Death Lineup," and there was just enough shooting from the perimeter to make sure the Warriors wouldn't pull away. Most importantly, the Thunder had the two best players in the series -- until both Durant and Westbrook took backseats to Curry, Thompson and Green.
Some so-called "enlightened" basketball fans will rail against this judgment, as if criticizing a player's performance somehow takes away from his successes. They want you to think that we're only allowed to praise guys, not point out when they come up short.
None of this should be construed as moral judgments against the Thunder superstars, however. Every champion in NBA history was a choker until he finally reached the summit. Then, you become a winner -- but not a moment sooner.
Durant and Westbrook will have more opportunities to claim that title, be it together or on separate teams. For this summer, though, they'll have to live with the fact that they cost themselves their best shot at their first ring.
"Choke" is a strong word. When you fail this miserably, it's the only one that applies.
