Next Season's Goal

Turning the clock back a month, the Thunder gave a much better performance before tiring down the stretch.The Lakers needed a big fourth quarter from Bryant in that game and maybe learned something about OKC in the process. The best team in the Western Conference has seen what the Thunder can do when let back into games, and LA took control from the start.

Not even the home crowd could help, as OKC trailed by 17 after one quarter and 24 at halftime. Kevin Durant again paced the Thunder, but the third quarter run was too late. All twelve Lakers played with all but one scoring for the runaway number one playoff squad. 

OKC remains tied for fourth place in the division and still mathematically has a shot of catching Golden State and Toronto at the 25-win mark. One troubling thing remains, however, if the Thunder are going to make one last run. They can't do it without a back-up point guard, and Earl Watson has disappeared.

He still dresses for the contests and has no injury of note. But ever since a very good outing in Denver, Watson has totaled as many minutes as recent call-up D.J. White. Here's a hint -- White will make his season debut as early as Friday. 

You guessed it. Watson no longer seems to have a place in the rotation, something he and Coach Brooks may have discussed after Tuesday's loss. Why is this important, though? Russell Westbrook found himself in foul trouble, and Brooks elected not to sub Watson or even Chucky Atkins in for the rookie.

KD found himself in the backcourt with Thabo, not the pairing I had in mind back at the All-Star break. Whether or not Watson gets traded over the summer, he is evidently not in the Thunder's plans for the rest of the season. And that means at the top of the shopping list for 2009-2010 is a true back-up point and a victory over the Lakers. Paging one Steph Curry...