The best player for the Oklahoma City Thunder is none other than Reggie Jackson.

That’s a lie, but he definitely played like it Saturday night, scoring 32 points in the Thunder’s Game 4 overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder needed every point, considering Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant scored a combined 30 points on 11-for-45 shooting.

Durant was 5-21 from the field and Westbrook was 6-24. Jackson got his 32 points shooting an efficient 11-16.

Those shooting numbers harken back to the age-old dilemma (actually just two years old) of Westbrook shooting too many shots.

When you have Jackson scoring 32 in a must-win playoff game, who needs the trigger happy Westbrook? Should he be traded?

The rumblings of Westbrook being the issue in OKC are getting louder. There is a growing belief that if the Thunder don’t make a deep run in the playoffs this year, there will be changes. Anything short of the NBA Finals is likely considered to be a disappointment. Eyes are shifting toward the 25-year old-superstar point guard.

It’s been a weird unraveling of events.

During 2012-13, dissension seemed to grow between Durant and Westbrook because of how many shots Westbrook was taking. The Thunder hit a couple of rough patches late in games and the stats, to a degree, supported the theory that Westbrook shooting more than Durant did not equal winning.

Then, Westbrook went down. In Game 2 of the first round of the Playoffs, the Houston Rockets’ Patrick Beverley went for a steal as Westbrook was calling a timeout and collided with his knee, tearing his meniscus.

Durant and the Thunder won the series in six. They lost in the next round to Memphis in five games. Durant did not play particularly well, and the talk of Westbrook being an issue disappeared. Westbrook was perceived more as an asset than a liability.

Fast forward to this past season. The Thunder jumped out to a hot start, with Durant once again aided by Westbrook.

A couple of days after the Christmas Day win over the New York Knicks, Westbrook had to miss more time because of swelling in his knee that required surgery.

The Thunder continued to play well. They didn’t miss a beat when Westbrook returned and earned the 2-seed in the Western Conference.

In Game 1 of their first round matchup against the Grizzlies, the Thunder blew Memphis out.

In Game 2, the Thunder lost in overtime. Durant took 28 shots. Westbrook took 28 shots. Almost instantly, the controversy was reignited.

I may be in the minority, but I don’t think Westbrook should be moved. I don’t think Westbrook is anywhere close to the problem.

The person I have beef with is the Thunder’s head coach Scott Brooks.

At the very basic level, Brooks hasn’t been the most vocal in the media diffusing this situation. I’m not saying I’m hunting for media clips of Brooks specifically addressing this problem. In fact, I don’t many clips of Brooks in general outside of the Thunder losing to the Heat in the NBA Finals, which brings me to my next point.

Brooks is an excellent coach, but he is not the best at making in-game or game-to-game adjustments. There is no way Kendrick Perkins should have played as much in that series as he did. It’s questionable if he should have played at all in that series.

Perkins’ pick and roll defense is suspect, and that’s putting it nicely. He isn’t the most laterally quick athlete at the center spot. Perkins is offensively challenged as well. Nick Collison surpasses Perkins in all of these areas, yet did not see the time he should have.

More generally, he hasn’t done a great job of utilizing Westbrook’s natural abilities. The truth of the matter is Westbrook is a shooting guard playing point guard. It’s amazing the amount of times Westbrook hoists shots without a single pass.

Westbrook would be better served playing point guard in spurts. Brooks could play him off the ball and get him catches in scoring positions within the offense.

In Game 4, Brooks played Reggie Jackson and Westbrook extended minutes together for the first time. The move was more out of necessity than anything else. Westbrook and Durant were struggling and Jackson had it going.

But it worked.

It remains to be seen if it will be a recurring theme. I wouldn’t bet on it.

Westbrook does take a lot of shots, but outside of Durant, who else will take them if Westbrook doesn’t? Yes, general manager Sam Presti, that question is for you.

Serge Ibaka can make shots, but he is not a volume scorer. Perkins is nonexistent on the defensive end. Thabo Sefolosha is a defensive player. The rotation has been shortened, as it often is in the playoffs. But even if it wern’t, would it matter?

The Thunder need a low-post presence. For those pointing to the success of the Miami Heat to dispel that theory, Chris Bosh can go on the block and command attention if necessary.

I’m not calling for a complete roster overhaul and definitely not advocating trading Westbrook. The issue is that the Thunder’s troubles have been misdiagnosed.

A coaching change is a bit drastic now, but Scotty Brook’s seat could be getting hotter if the Thunder lose this series.

All in all, Westbrook and Durant need more help, especially in the front court and from the sideline.

Unless they count on Reggie Jackson to average 30 points per game for the duration of his Thunder career.

Spencer is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected].