Oklahoma City Thunder: 2016-17 Season Outlook

Three Key Storylines: 1. The Russell Westbrook Show

Hell hath no fury like a Westbrook scorned.

Revenge is a dish that tastes best when served cold.

The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. 

Choose whichever menacing quote you like; Russell Westbrook will embody it during the 2016-17 season.

Ever since he entered the league, Westbrook has played the game with a relentless amount of fire and passion. After being betrayed by his superstar partner Kevin Durant, Russ is about to take that insane competitive streak to another level.

Last year, Westbrook averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game, tying Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in a single season (18) over the last 50 years. This year, with Durant gone and Westbrook fully seizing the reins, he could very well pull off Oscar Robertson‘s Herculean task of averaging a triple-double for an entire season.

Remember, in the 2014-15 season where KD missed 55 games, Russ led the league in scoring, averaging 28.1 points, 8.6 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Already this preseason, Westbrook has destroyed one rim, put the ball behind his back for a layup in transition, nearly got in a fight with Marc Gasol, and been rejected by another rim. The man is simply going to be must-watch television in 2016-17.

Whether that’s because he’s a triple-double machine programmed to destroy the world or because he’ll be a regular threat for an in-game meltdown remains to be seen. But the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde nature of Westbrook’s game will be amplified like never before, and bearing witness to it all will make the Thunder one of the league’s most entertaining teams no matter their record.