Russell Westbrook started the season on the mend, so there's no point in critique his performance this early. The new-look Thunder are evidently a work in progress, as one might expect from a team with interchangeable parts surrounding its core.
Thursday night, the Thunder led by as much as 16 points at the midway point of a contest against the Boston Celtics, only to let Marcus Morris steal the game from within their grasps. It had been a rough fourth quarter for Westbrook; he had gone 0-7 from the field with 3 turnovers and was powerless to Marcus Morris' game-winning shot from beyond the arc. Rest assured Russ wasn't the only person at fault, but as the self-appointed leader of the pack, every loss becomes his cross to bear.
"We're OK. We'll be alright," Westbrook said in a conversation with Royce Young of ESPN. "It's early. I'm confident in my guys in this locker room, I'm confident in myself and my abilities to make sure that we have an opportunity to win a ballgame. There's no need to panic. Obviously we're not starting the way we wanted to, but we'll be OK and I will make sure of that. So, not worried."
The 0-4 Thunder face the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, with a real plausible shot at reversing their fortunes. Keep it locked.