By John ButlerThe idea of a sidekick has been working its wonders for years. Batman never fought crime without Robin. Imagine Jerry Seinfeld’s antics without George Costanza adding his two cents. And has anyone ever caught Jack Nicholson at a Lakers game without white bearded Lou Aldner sitting by his side? The same partner in crime mentality has taken place throughout the history of the NBA. Sure we have examples of guys like Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan who defeated evil villains known as the rest of the league to win 6 championships. But we also have stories like Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury who were unable to overcome the kryptonite of greed and succeeding in a small market. So how will the NBA duo of Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook play out?
Durant and Westbrook are often overshadowed by the big market tandems of Carmelo Anthony and Amare’ Staudamire in New York and Wade, LeBron and Bosh in Miami. But according to the numbers that never lie, Oklahoma City is the best team in the NBA with a 25-7 record. It’s been argued that Durant, in his fifth NBA season, and Westbrook, in his fourth, don’t have enough NBA experience to take their team to the next level. But the duo has already taken OKC to the playoffs the last two seasons, which includes a trip to the Western Conference finals. The next level for them is the NBA Finals.
Kevin Durant has a very friendly demeanor. He’s a superstar that sees his teammates as more than just the other eleven players on the roster. Durant really is “one of the guys.” But does that mentality blur the lines as to who is the superstar and who is the wingman? It certainly does, but only when the true wingman feels he isn’t getting paid what he deserves. The front office of the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated that potential problem when they resigned Westbrook to a five year $80 million contract.
Russell Westbrook gets a bad rep for his style of play. He feels like he can beat you one on one every time and his 18.5 shot attempts per game proves it. Some say that a handful of those shots should be passes to Kevin Durant, but that high number of attempts results in 22 points per game. It alleviates the pressure placed on Kevin Durant to score. After all, isn’t it the role of the sidekick to give the super hero the extra boost needed to come through in the clutch? That’s exactly what these two did on Sunday night when Durant scored 51 points and Westbrook added 40. It’s this dually fueled scoring machine that has allowed their team to be successful.
So when the dust clears will the OKC dynamic duo of Durant and Westbrook be able to fight the evil villains of the NBA? Will they stand victorious against the powerhouse squads like Miami and New York? How long will the pair be satisfied with fighting crime in a small market before one of them goes to LA or Chicago? It’s up to those two guys if they will be the quintessential Batman and Robin or Cheech and Chong and watch their legacy go up in smoke.
