This Finals match up had to be what the league wanted. In one corner, you have the Heat. Miami is not only the most hated, talked about, and scrutinized team in the league, they are also one of the most talented. In the other corner, there is the Thunder. OKC is the future of the league with many players who want to prove themselves. However you look at it though, this championship match up will be boiled down to one story line: Durant vs James. Just the thought of pitting arguably the two best players in the league against each other in a best of seven series gives me chills.
With all the story lines aside, this will genuinely be a great series. The talent on both sides of the ball will be incredible. Both teams know how to score and usually do a formidable job defending. For a better look at who is going to win this series, let me break it down for you.
Thunder Pros:
1. Kevin Durant - The best part about the Thunder is KD. He is an incredible scorer and can really change the feeling of a game in just a few seconds. How he was able to respond in the Western Conference Finals was incredible. He also has the ability to disrupt the Heat in the paint. Over the past 10 games, Durant has been able to average 8.1 rebounds per game. It isn't a terribly high amount, but when you couple it with the scoring, it is a really big contribution.
2. Stronger supporting cast - There is no doubt that the Thunder have a better supporting cast around their main star. Russel Westbrook has been a beast this post season. His scoring abilities have been a great second punch to KD. OKC also have a great sixth man in James Harden and an experienced veteran in Derek Fisher. The Thunder's ability to have other players produce will really help them down the stretch.
3. Serge Ibaka - Ibaka will be key in this series. His ability to get blocks, rebounds, and create a presence in the paint will be too much for the Heat. If he can shut down Chris Bosh, the Heat will look like they did in games 4 and 5 of the Boston Series.
4. Rested and Home Court- The Thunder have only lost 3 games this post season and the Heat have lost 6. Miami has played a few more games and may be slightly fatigued. It won't be a huge difference, but it helps. Home court will be a huge advantage though. The fans in OKC are crazy loud and very dedicated. I think they will be able to make the Heat feel uncomfortable and ultimately help the Thunder to some great wins.
Thunder Con:
1. Inexperience - The Thunder have to have some sort of nerves building. For many players, it will be their first experience with the Finals and they will not play the same. It will come into play early in their first road game as well as some key moments down the stretch. It will ultimately be up to the coaches as well as Derek Fisher to calm these young guys down. If the Thunder can keep their composure in the tough situations, it will be a great Finals for them.
Heat Pros:
1. Lebron James - Either you love him or hate him, but you still have to respect him. The way he took it to the Celtics in games six and seven was incredible. This guy has the ability to put a team on his back and carry them to the promised land. No matter who he's playing, he is going to have some good games. Don't be surprised if he drops over 30 in almost every game.
2. D-Wade - Just like Westbrook, Wade is the great second punch to the big star. His ability to go off just like James makes him a huge threat for the Thunder. He also has a way of creating his own fouls almost at will and usually converts the 3 point play. If the Heat want to win, he will need to be just as prominent as James and do whatever he can to get a W.
3. Experience - The Heat were in this exact same position last season. They will not have the nerves that the Thunder will and will need to attack early in game one to shift the series in their favor. It also helps that Wade has a ring and knows what it takes to be a champion.
Heat Cons:
1. Lack of Support - Outside the "Big 3", the Heat don't have many great players. When Mario Chalmers is your fourth best player, you know you're in trouble. Either the bench is going to need to come together and score 20-30 or they are going to lose.
2. Pressure - The Heat are under so much pressure. I feel like it got to them in their last year and that it has the ability to do it again. LBJ may say that he feels better about this year coming into the Finals, but we'll see how he feels if the Thunder win a could straight against him. The Heat will one day break the pressure barrier, but I don't know if it will be this year.
3. 4th Quarter Misery - I don't have to tell you the stats about the closing power of the Heat. We all know they have problems closing games and that the final shot has always been a problem. That will change one day, but based on their performance in this year's playoffs, the curse is still there. All they can do is keep taking the shots, but who knows if they will fall?
With my pros and cons laid out for everyone to see, you can see who I'm leaning towards. Here's some food for thought though. This is the first NBA Finals where neither team's name ends with an s. Isn't that incredible? So it's slightly ironic that I'm going to pick the Thunder in a number that starts with an s. I have the Thunder winning a great series in six games with Kevin Durant as the Finals MVP.
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