Contrary to popular belief, Paul George does not have one leg in his Oklahoma City Thunder gym shorts, the other in a pair of Los Angeles Lakers garb. He is, right now, all-in with the Thunder—a position in which he could see himself staying, especially after the trade for Carmelo Anthony.
As the All-Star forward told USA Today‘s Sam Amick:
“Honestly, I’m happy,” he said. “The only thing I wanted out of Indiana was a chance to win my whole career there…That’s really what I want out of this, out of the league. I’m not looking for money. I’m not looking for stats. I want to win, and (to) be able to win at a high level.
“It’s Year One, and (the Thunder have) proven – and I haven’t even gone through a season yet – and they’ve already proven everything on my check list (that) I can check off. That’s what feels good. That’s what makes me feel like, ‘Hey, this can be a landing spot for me, and somewhere I can call home for years.’”
This is a big deal for the Thunder. Yes, it’s only September. Everyone is optimistic this time of year. But they really have done everything reasonably possible to double-down on next season. General manager Sam Presti turned a hodgepodge of assets into Anthony and George, two wings who, if willing to function in heavy catch-and-shoot roles, can perfectly complement reigning MVP russell Westbrook.
Questions remain, none bigger than “How will this group balance crunch-time touches?” Anthony also has an early termination option for next season. Westbrook can be a free agent as well (player option) and has yet to sign an extension. Things could go sideways, and George, along with his other two stars, could leave.
Right now, though, the Thunder appear to have a legitimate shot at earning the Western Conference’s second-best record. They may also be better built than anyone to defend the Golden State Warriors. If they even sniff the Western Conference finals, everyone involved has to seriously think about running it back, even if it’s only in the short term. The Thunder have earned that much consideration already, something that cannot go overlooked knowing how much of a formality George’s interest in the Lakers is known to be.
