Breaking Down OKC Thunder's James Harden and Russell Westbrook What-Ifs

Now that the Oklahoma City Thunder have been bounced from the playoffs by the Memphis Grizzlies in the conference semifinals, it will surely spark a summer of "what-ifs?" 

Kevin Durant was able to will the Thunder past the Houston Rockets, and then rally them for a Game 1 win over the Grizzlies. But then Memphis methodically wore Scott Brooks' club down, and it was painfully apparent that OKC lacked superstar power to accompany Durant.

Russell Westbrook's meniscus injury transformed the Thunder from contender to pretender.

His absence and subsequent demise of the club will open up a bevy of discussions. Just how far would the team have gone in 2013 had he or James Harden been alongside Durant?

What If...Westbrook was healthy?

If Patrick Beverley had never collided with Westbrook and the dynamic duo was still intact, the Thunder would have at least been favorites to win the Western Conference.

With Russell taking over for stretches and putting pressure on opponents by attacking in transition and slashing in half-court situations, KD could focus on getting to his spots, working off screens and maintaining plenty of energy for defense.

The two would have put in 20-30 points per night and absorbed more of Memphis' focus, liberating the Thunder supporting cast and finishing the series in six. 

Then, a knock-down, drag-out conference finals against a team like San Antonio would have resulted in Westbrook and Durant prevailing in six or seven.

The finals? Well, that's LeBron James' turf these days, but it's fair to think Oklahoma City would give the Miami Heat a better run than any current West challenger could.

What if...Westbrook was injured but Harden was still around?

When Russell went down for surgery, one of the first thoughts from the OKC faithful was, "it would be nice to have Harden right about now."

Especially an upgraded version of Harden.

We all saw what Harden could do in an expanded role, as he scored 26-plus points and dished five-plus assists for the Rockets in 2012-13.

An increase to 35-40 minutes to help Durant sans-Westbrook would prove to be a fun, albeit nerve-wracking run through the playoffs.

A first-round breeze would lead to a tough series against the Grizzlies. But instead of capitulating after five games, Harden's physical prowess would help push Memphis to six or seven games. Once it gets to a Game 6 or 7, the star duo would have a great chance to take over.

The conference finals and potential NBA finals would be a tall task, but certainly not as tall as it was in the real-life 2013 nightmare.

What if...Westbrook was healthy AND Harden was still around?

This might be the most painful one for Thunder fans to hear.

If Oklahoma City had chosen Harden over Serge Ibaka long term, it would have a more-than-realistic shot at revenge over King James.

With all three superstars in the lineup, Scott Brooks could launch a potent attack against opponents for a full 48 minutes.

With at least two of the playmakers on the court at any given time, Western Conference foes wouldn't be able to keep up.

The Thunder would sleepwalk through Round 1, then dispatch Memphis more handily than they did in 2011 and proceed to convincingly oust San Antonio en route to a matchup with the vaunted Heat.

The 2013 NBA Finals would have been an explosive showdown of historically-good swingmen and slashers, and it wouldn't end as anti-climactically as the 2012 matchup did.

Would the Thunder's ever-developing Big Three topple Miami's established trio? And what about 2014 and beyond?

Let the debate begin.