Durant, Westbrook Have Partnership That May Survive Critics, Free-Agent Suitors

LOS ANGELES — With how steep the slope has been on this struggle of a season for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the general consensus has settled in that this team just isn't meant to push all the way up...maybe ever.

That's absolutely premature, but it was another rough night Sunday for the Thunder. Although Oklahoma City avoided a third consecutive loss by holding off the lowly Lakers at Staples Center, 108-101, there was more opportunity to dwell on the negative—Russell Westbrook was hurt again and reclusive back in the locker room during the game, Kevin Durant was hurt again and still the cheer guy up off the bench despite his foot problem.

It was the kind of disunited dynamic that could be construed negatively—Westbrook doing it his way, Durant doing it his way, neither one an NBA champion yet despite this being their seventh season together.

Hold on a sec, though.

No matter how different they are, these two guys have coexisted well over all these years. There is a real mutual respect, even as we assume discord exists for any stars sharing shots and we greedily consume images of Westbrook bypassing Durant's hand for a high-five.

They also have bought in and support virtually the only coach they've had together, Scott Brooks—perhaps the most amazing thing to happen over the course of the past seven NBA years.

Two strong-minded superstars failing to meet lofty championship expectations year after year, yet not turning on the coach? It's almost unfathomable!

Kobe Bryant lately has taken to citing Westbrook as a latter-day version of his intense, aspirational self. But Westbrook, 26, has handled the way he is viewed as secondary while still growing his game.

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Westbrook, in fact, just said two weeks ago on The Dan Patrick Show that he and Durant "constantly became closer and closer like brothers." Asked if he would like to lead his own team elsewhere, Westbrook said: "Not at all, man. I love winning. Kevin's one of the best players in the world, man, and I love my position I'm in now. ... I'd rather win games and have a chance to win a championship every year."

That's a lot of good stuff there with the Thunder. Stop and think about it, and it's the kind of kinship and cooperation we expect from top teammates thrown together but so rarely find.

Yes, we celebrate San Antonio putting ego aside for the greater good because the Spurs have titles. Well, isn't it actually more remarkable that the Thunder have kept such peace despite all the disappointments?

The disappointments include this season, which has Oklahoma City at only 33-27 through Sunday. Durant has been hurt a lot, which at least offers a sense of symmetry if the Thunder's playoff hopes are undercut by his lack of health in 2015 after it was Westbrook's in '13 and Serge Ibaka's in '14.

For as big a role as the James Harden trade has played in the Thunder's playoff frustrations, injuries in the postseason have been an even more overwhelming factor.

That's a fact.

And as much as fans in other cities hope for the worst for the Thunder with Durant's 2016 free agency looming, these guys deserve some better breaks to evaluate just how good they are together.

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Let's be clear: This team will make the playoffs, with Westbrook perhaps missing only this Lakers game with his facial fracture and Durant being re-evaluated in the coming days. The schedule becomes far more favorable, too—Oklahoma City has 14 of its remaining 22 games at home.

Brooks has been pilloried for his playoff usage of intangible, skill-less guys such as Derek Fisher and Kendrick Perkins, but the options have been awfully limited. Brooks now has a far more potent point guard he refers to as "a winner" in D.J. Augustin, who arrived at the trade deadline with center Enes Kanter to join earlier addition Dion Waiters.

That's the third pick in the 2011 draft in Kanter and the fourth pick in 2012 in Waiters. For the flaws they have revealed in their early years, both have undeniable skills that the Thunder's supporting cast has been missing in past years.

It'll be interesting to see if Kanter and Waiters can do the little things that role players must in great playoff runs, but we're at a more advanced point in this Thunder evolution: There's no doubt that Durant and Westbrook set a high competitive tone without needing guys with rings on their resume such as Fisher and Perkins to preach and prod.

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Durant is the reigning NBA MVP. Westbrook is, according to Brooks, "not a perfect player, but he's going to give a perfect effort every night."

Extremely different people, unquestionably similar competitors. It's how they're still bonded through all their season-ending losses.

Before that crescendo moment in Durant's MVP speech thanking his mom was honestly something more extraordinary: a star thanking his co-star in heartfelt fashion despite failing over and over to get that championship.

"I could speak all night about Russell, an emotional guy who will run through a wall for me," Durant said. "I don't take it for granted. There are days when I just want to tackle you and tell you to snap out of it sometimes, but I know there are days you want to do the same thing with me. I love you, man. I love you.

"A lot of people put unfair criticism on you as a player, and I'm the first to have your back through it all. Just stay the person you are. Everybody loves you here. I love you. I thank you so much. You make me better.

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"Your work ethic. I always wanted to compete with you. I always wanted to pull up into the parking lot of the practice facility, and if you beat me there, I was always upset. I always wanted to outwork you.

"You set the bar, you set the tone. Thank you so much. You have a big piece of this. You're an MVP-caliber player. It's a blessing to play with you."

If Ibaka didn't tear his calf muscle before facing the eventual champion Spurs in the six-game Western Conference Finals, it's fair to wonder whether we'd ever forget how tearfully impassioned Durant was in that speech when thanking Westbrook. If Ibaka was healthy, we might now view this Durant-Westbrook partnership in a whole new light.

Here's the truth, though: Even without a ring on it, it's a remarkable team they've made together.

Kevin Ding is an NBA senior writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @KevinDing.