The Oklahoma City Thunder proved they can survive without Kevin Durant, but they didn't quite thrive without Durantula.Russell Westbrook did just about everything in his power that he could to drag the Thunder into the playoffs after most analysts doubted they'd see the postseason post-Durant. All he had to do was average a triple-double to get there, no big deal.Their first-round defeat to the Houston Rockets was a lousy way for Westbrook's incredible efforts to come to an end, but it was an outcome that was going to be nearly impossible to avoid. The Thunder are only kinda-good because Westbrook is exceptional. That can't be the story next season.Here are three things the Thunder need to do this summer to come back bigger, better and even stronger. 

Get Westbrook a tag team partner

Westbrook tried to do it all himself and, to his credit, he succeeded in taking his team as far as they logically could. The Rockets are no slouches, and there's no shame in losing to what James Harden and Mike D'Antoni are cooking

Westbrook needs to not be the AEIOU and always Y of the Thunder's success, and that means it might be time for general manager Sam Presti to open the check book and find a new running mate for Russell to tear up the floor with. 

The top target? Perhaps if Blake Griffin opts out of his contract with the Clippers he can have his very own homecoming to Oklahoma City, where he was born. He also played college for the Oklahoma Sooners, and it's one of the few sensible places for him to consider. 

No matter what happens, the Thunder can't put it all on Westbrook and expect any different result. The NBA is just too competitive from top to bottom for Russell to do it all on his own. Forget a Big Three, just get him a large two to work with. Please. 

Trade Enes Kanter for viable bench pieces

Enes Kanter isn't a bad NBA player, but he's a limited one. He's also making $17.8 million next season, with a player option for another $18.6 the following one. That's not a particularly sensible contract for this Thunder team, as it stands.

The biggest sign that he's not going to cut it for Oklahoma City? He averaged 21.3 minutes per game through the regular season but only nine minutes per game in the playoffs. That's a fairly accurate way to summarize the problem with Enes.

He's a fine regular season big man off the bench because he has offensive talent. His knack for scoring has its merits, but his lack of defense is too big a problem for this Thunder team when every possession matters. This was literally admitted by Thunder head coach Billy Donovan during the series.

He was infamously caught mouthing "can't play Kanter" after the big man was picked apart in a pick-and-roll. It's time to seriously consider moving him, even if that means breaking him down into smaller pieces that help round out the roster. 

Ideally the Thunder can package one or two of their bench pieces in any deal that includes Kanter because the needed renovations run deep. 

Reload the roster relentlessly

The biggest thing the Thunder have going for them is the fact that Westbrook signed a contract extension that potentially lasts through 2018-19 so long as Russell accepts the $30.6 million player option for the final year.

That's a huge sum of money to leave behind, and Westbrook's been very clear that his top priority is to bring a championship to the Thunder. Should he go through another historic season only to get bounced, his patience may reach a breaking point. 

The Thunder are on the clock after failing to make any significant moves to recover from the Durant departure in Year 1. Year 2 needs to be different, and doing the above steps would be a great start. It can't stop there, though.

General manager Sam Presti is praised for his genius and ability to manipulate the Collective Bargaining Agreement and he needs to put all of that respect into proven results. That means the Thunder need to be relentless in putting everything but Westbrook on the table this summer.

There are several gaps in the Thunder's roster - from defensive big man to adding legitimate three-point shooters that are barely playable - that need to be addressed. It's time to shuffle the deck because that ace up their sleeve won't last forever. 

Their number one priority has to be landing a superstar that wants to play alongside a triple-double machine that just bested Oscar Robertson's long-standing record. That shouldn't be hard to do, but the Thunder have been notoriously economical in their decision making.

That means unloading Kanter, and the smaller moves mentioned, are all just as important to make it all work out in the books. Should they do that, they'll be much more than the "Let Westbrook be Westbrook" one man show that was still captivating.