Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 Reasons the Westbrook Extension Was the Right Move

There's been much ado made about the Oklahoma City Thunder signing Russell Westbrook to a max contract. However, it was the right move for the franchise to make at this juncture.

All kinds of opinions have run rampant since the story broke on Thursday.  Some say the Thunder made the wrong move and that Westbrook is too immature. Some say that it was the right move and that Westbrook is a star in the making. The latter are correct.

Here are five reasons why the Thunder made the right move.

Kevin Durant Needs a Wing Man

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

They all won championships together.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have the potential to become the next great duo. Durant is the silky, smooth scorer with a cool, calm demeanor. Westbrook is the fiery, emotional point guard who is freakishly athletic.

Much has been made of their "feud," but most of that has been overblown by the media. Durant needs a No. 2 man. Westbrook has the potential to be the best one in the NBA. He and Durant will grow up and will learn how to best play together.

He's Well-Rounded

Westbrook has his faults, but he also has many things he does very well. That is his biggest asset as a player.

He's a great scorer, which is something the Thunder need in order to keep pressure off of Durant. He has tremendous passing skills and vision. He also has the athleticism necessary to be an above average rebounder from the point guard position.

None of these skills are as refined as they need to be. However, by signing him to a long contract, the Thunder have ensured that he'll refine those skills for them and not another team.

He's Entertaining

One thing that no one can deny about Westbrook is how entertaining he is to watch.

When he isn't performing well, people are entertained by his emotion, fire and brief flashes of immaturity. Pundits debate about how bad he is for the Thunder, and others call for him to be traded for Chris Paul.

When he does show his "A" game, he's still fiery and emotional. He ignites the best home crowd in the NBA and makes even the casual fan want to jump up and yell.

Westbrook is press and ticket sales, pure and simple. As much as we purists don't want to think about such things, they are still major factors.

He's Homegrown

Unlike most NBA teams these days, the Thunder are building a championship contender in a small market via the draft.

Think about this: Russell Westbrook knows everything he's learned about playing in the NBA from the Thunder organization. He's never played for any other teams. There's value in that.

Much like Durant, James Harden and most of the young core on the team, Westbrook is purely Thunder. He can be and has been molded into exactly what the Thunder management wants him to be from day one of his career.

A Bird in the Hand...

...is worth two in the bush. Ever heard that saying?

It applies here.

It's great for us to postulate and discuss what could be if the Thunder were willing to wheel and deal Westbrook with other teams. Great fun.

However, an All-NBA second team point guard is hard to come by in this league. Sure, you might be able to get a lot for him, but in any trade, you're also giving up a lot.

The Thunder know what Westbrook is. Even at his least, he is an All-NBA second-teamer. He's achieved that much already.

At his best, no one knows for sure just how good he could be.  For a 23-year-old, potential is the thing.

Either way, his extension was money well spent.