It is set. The
NBA Finals are upon us, and it matches up two of the game's finest in
LeBron James and
Kevin Durant. MVP versus scoring champion. Superstar versus superstar. The
Oklahoma City Thunder found out last night that they will have a date with the
Miami Heat to claim the throne as NBA champions. Commissioner David Stern couldn't have fathom a better match-up since the 2009 Playoffs when it all seemed destined to be a LeBron-Kobe matchup in the Finals. Remember the Nike commercials and ads that featured puppets of
LeBron and Kobe? Remember the
Slam issue that both LeBron and Kobe graced? Everyone was sure it was going to happen. But
Dwight Howard and the
Orlando Magic thought otherwise and interrupted all of our fantasy. They, instead of the
Cleveland Cavaliers, won the east and faced the
Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Imagine how Nike and the advertising world would have jumped on the LeBron versus Kobe hoopla. Both Kobe and LeBron's puppets would still be on our television til this day.
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| Photo from ufrsports.com |
Let's get back to the present. When you have LeBron James and
Dwyane Wade on one side against Kevin Durant and
Russell Westbrook, this promises to be an exciting series filled with an uptempo and flashy style of play. Just when you think no one matches Wade's ability to slash and drive, Westbrook comes to mind with his explosive penetrating ability. Just when you think no one can match Durant's scoring prowess, LeBron comes to mind with his playoff-leading 30.8 ppg. If we were to compare these four players, no one player would have an advantage over the other, more or less. But for each team, that is just two of the big three, and it only tells us a small part of the story.
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| Photo from zimbio.com |
Let's not forget about the missing pieces to each of the big three:
Chris Bosh and
James Harden. Bosh recently returned to the Heat's line-up mid way through the Boston series. Though he started off slow, his presence was certainly felt in
game 7 when it really mattered. He hit three timely 3-pointers, including one that put the Heat up four with four minutes left in the game. He finished the game with 19 and 8 in the 101-88 victory, which ultimately led the Heat to their second straight Finals appearance. Bosh will be vital if the Heat want to hoist up the Larry O'Brien trophy at the end of the series. On the other hand, the Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden, figures to play just as equally as an important role as Bosh. Harden is the Thunder's explosive firepower off the bench, and in a postseason where there has been little support coming from the bench, Harden's role is even more crucial. Harden has been averaging 17.6 ppg in 31 minutes off the bench this postseason. No one on the Heat bench averages more than 5.5 ppg. Unless Coach Spoelstra decides to start Bosh again, the Thunder will have a huge advantage in bench play.
Tune in for the next post to get an in-depth look at the rest of the supporting cast from each team and look out for my prediction on who will win game one. Stay tuned!
