Charlotte Hornets center Dwight Howard made an appearance on ESPN’s "Get Up" with Michelle Beadle and Jalen Rose this morning, and he was asked to talk about what went wrong for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season.
In speaking about OKC's big three of Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, Howard says the trio of ball-dominant players struggled to figure out who should sacrifice for the good of the team. Specifically, Howard believes that Westbrook should have done the most sacrificing, allowing George to get his 20-30 points per game and letting Carmelo act as "a closer."
Which player should have done the most sacrificing among the Thunder’s Big Three?
“I would say Russ. I would say Russ because Russ has the ball more times in his hands. And I watched Carmelo and Paul George at times, and they were just standing there, watching.
“Late in the games, I think the ball should have been more in Carmelo’s hands because he’s more of a closer.
“Paul George, he’s that guy that’s going to get you the 20-30 points between the first and the third quarter.
“Russ, he should just facilitate, get everybody involved early in the game, and just let those guys play.
“At this point in his career, he’s done everything as far as the individual. He has all the accolades. But now, it should just be about making everyone around him better.”
Despite finishing the season fourth in the Western Conference with a 48-34 record, the Thunder were eliminated by the Utah Jazz in six games during the first round of the playoffs. According to reports, Paul George intends to leave OKC as a free agent this Summer.