Fans: Are They Good?

We're back to normal... kind of. Sports are allowing near full capacity. That could be seen as a positive. The danger of the NBA is that it's very easy to be near players. Six incidents in the first round so far are a sign that fans are not always the best in terms of behavior. Its list is as follows. A fan threw popcorn at Russell Westbrook. Trae Young was spit at. Ja Morant's family was racially taunted. Immanuel Quickley had a beer thrown at him. Kyrie Irving had a water bottle thrown towards him after a game. And a fan ran on the court during the latest 76ers and Wizards game.

I'm anticipating a riot in an arena if things don't calm down. It's one thing to not go to stuff for well over a year for obvious reasons. But the behavior is very unacceptable. Bans for life are one option. Charges are another for the water bottle guy and the one who ran onto the court. Theoretically, one could hurt or kill a player. I point to a stabbing in 1993 of tennis star Monica Seles. Certain players are targets either because of the team a fan hates or specific agendas which shouldn't be ruled out entirely.

The Irving incident happened in Boston and continues to be a sad reminder of how vile the city's fans are. Look at ugly baseball incidents in recent memory with Adam Jones in 2017 and Red Sox player Kevin Youkilis opening up last year about the team's fans being racist towards their own players when he was playing for them. Reaction shows had some hosts saying they would have charged into the stands if they were in Westbrook's shoes. We've come a long way since 2004 with Malice in the Palace. It would be very embarrassing to see that type of crap again. It'd be nice for Westbrook to defend himself, but a hefty suspension and huge fine is something he would not want or any player for that matter.

I don't know what you can do with fans. There's only so much security and police can do and bans may not be the only thing that will solve it. Cutting alcohol is not an end all solution, but it would cut the stupidity by quite a bit. Maybe no food sold after the fourth quarter is halfway through? Whatever decision will not be an easy one to do. But the behavior better be curbed quickly. If it doesn't, you're going to see someone's career change if a fan does something nefarious.

Next Question Don't Cut It

It's been an interesting 10 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Moving from Seattle was one thing. To be able to group together after a mediocre first year and have a strong core of players was another. The idea of James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook working together should have been a dream come true. But it hasn't. Harden went to Houston in 2012 and has built a strong career. Durant has been great, but the last three years with Golden State could see him win a third straight Finals. With that, it only leaves Westbrook and a Thunder team that more than likely watches the championship at home.

I do question Westbrook's character a bit. It goes way before this, but the way he acts, I wonder how he lives with the various attitudes he has. Especially with the next question antics he has been doing. Now, I understand not every player wants to talk to the media. I think a lot of it has to do with criticism if someone's game is off or if the team put in a losing effort. And social media is looking at these press conferences, too. I believe all the responses and questions all around is getting into Westbrook's head and it is getting tiring for him.

That being said, the media has to do their job. And one of the defenders is Warriors coach Steve Kerr. He has dealt with it as a coach and as a GM for Phoenix. You got to give them something. Players get sick of questions, regardless of outcomes. However, they are not always to blame. The media may want to make a story. Some can be truthful about what they talked about. Others want to sell papers and subscriptions to get people attached to a narrative. For Westbrook, it's one reporter. It's not like it's the entire group  of reporters from ESPN, local news stations, NBC.

Westbrook has immense talent. If things don't change, there is no chance he wins a Finals championship, and the media will bury him with even more questions each passing year. He better get his act together and not be sour all the time.

Oklahoma City Thunder: What Now?

You could have probably written off the Oklahoma City Thunder for this 2016-17 season. Losing guys like Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka would definitely be seen as a problem and the thoughts of a playoff run could be something that could come in a another season or two. Their big star is Russell Westbrook, who has carved his name into being one of the greats of this modern era of NBA Basketball for the past eight seasons prior to this one.

Despite the number of young players, the Thunder put up a respectable 47-35 record in the Western Conference. Westbrook was mostly their offense, despite several players near or above 1000 points themselves. Their defense was one of the better ones in terms of rebounding and stealing the ball. The numbers on both sides were on the side of being one of the better teams in the league and middle tiered material. Of course, we look at their future now after losing in the first round to the Houston Rockets in five games.

It all starts with what happened five years ago when the Thunder went on that magical run to the NBA Finals only to lose to the Miami Heat. They had Durant, Ibaka, Westbrook, and sixth man that year, James Harden. Their numbers on offense were in the top three and the defense was one of the better ones. We can talk what ifs forever on what could have been a dynasty in the making. You think about it, they could have won a ring together. They could have been one of the young teams others could imitate. With Harden going to Houston and his career really taking off, you have to wonder. That's not to say Oklahoma was horrible. They posted really good records in the regular season. There's always one team that's an obstacle to them and they are sent packing and watching the finals on television.

If I am the Thunder, I am doing whatever is necessary to keep Westbrook with them for the rest of his career as he will enter his tenth season in October/November. With Durant playing for Golden State and Ibake with Toronto, they need someone that can lead the charge and take a bit of punishment until they get people that can get used to their style of play. If they can gel together, they can still keep making playoff appearances. It's just a matter of how much longer fans have to wait and how much frustration will mount if they don't win a championship.

Right now, their biggest priorities are Westbrook and Steven Adams. Keeping them both will be important for years to come. Getting some better players, whether through the NBA Draft or free agency could give them players to compliment them and have bench guys that could carry the load while the stars take a breather.  Either way, they are on the clock. Oklahoma can't afford to lose any more players. Otherwise, that first overall pick could be calling for them in the future.