NBA conference finals preview
In a round that saw sweeps, comebacks, revenge and much more, it was the Boston Celtics that concluded the NBA playoffs second-round Saturday night with an 85-75 game seven win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the TD Garden.
Confirming the Eastern and Western Conference final matchups, we take a look at the key battles, players, coaches and styles that may shape who heads into this years NBA Finals.
(1) San Antonio Spurs v Oklahoma City Thunder (2)
So, in typical fashion, the most hotly anticipated playoff matchup this year has come before the finals. While the Thunder have been in red hot form all season long, the Spurs’ old guard know the routine and have been hitting stride as we enter crunch time.
Riding high on an 18-match unbeaten run that includes two playoff series sweeps, they need only one more win to equal the 2001 Los Angeles Lakers record for the longest post-season win streak.
While the Thunder are hungry for their first franchise championship, knocking out the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Lakers on the way, the Spurs are on a mission to collect the franchise’s fifth NBA championship.
As the Western Conference’s top two teams face off it will be an opportunity to see the experience of the Spurs compete against the youth of the OKC. With both sides desperate to make it to the finals it’s sure to be an exciting series.
A key position that will have a lot of say in who advances to the next round is the point guard position. While Oklahoma have Russell Westbrook, San Antonio have a man named Tony Parker who’s currently in the midst of a career-best season.
Although it is hard to find numerous faults with Westbrook’s game it’s even harder to find them in Parker’s. Averaging 23.6 points per game and 7.6 assists per game in the regular season matchups against the OKC this season (compared to Westbrook’s 22.3ppg and 6apg respectively) he’s clearly got an advantage over Westbrook.
While Parker is confident about his side’s chances he is all too aware of the ability OKC have to tear a team apart. While Kevin Durant was the regular season’s top scorer averaging 28ppg, Parker feels it is Westbrook who sets the Thunder tempo and is determined to shut it down throughout the series.
“He’s definitely the head of the snake on this team,” Parker said. “Durant is obviously the best scorer in this league, but I think Westbrook is the one who makes them go.
“I’m definitely going to go at him. It’s not going to be like Dallas or the Lakers, where their point guards are not as aggressive. I’m going to go at him and make sure he works a little bit.”
This season Parker has benefitted from the Spurs new emphasis on pushing the ball for fast-break buckets. Using this against the Thunder will be imperative for the Spurs. With Oklahoma leading the league in turnovers in the regular season with just over 16 per game, utilizing the fast break not only create easy points but will also eliminate the defensive presence of Serge Ibaka inside.
A key area for both sides in this series will be the bench. San Antonio is stocked with bench talent including; Manu Ginobili, Tiago Splitter and Stephen Jackson while the Thunder can call upon reigning Sixth Man of the Year, James Harden to causes problems.
Entering the court usually during Durant’s rest time, Harden is a massive offensive threat and means the opposition’s defence is never able to relax.
Although the Spurs contain more weapons in their bench, one guarantee for OKC is Kevin Durant’s scoring. Going head-to-head with San Antonio’s impressive rookie, Kawhi Leonard, Thunder’s small forward has the tools to offensively dismantle any side.
The regular season scoring champ is averaging 26.7ppg during the playoffs and at 6’9”, 235lbs he still holds an advantage physically over the 6’7”, 225lbs Leonard. Put simply, no one can stop Durant, he can only be slowed down.
The Spurs won’t worry about stopping Durant though. Scoring an average of 108.5 point per game in the regular season (1st in the NBA) San Antonio is flowing offensively and in their current form it will be hard task even for KD and the Thunder.
My prediction, Spurs to move on in six.
(1) Miami Heat v Boston Celtics (4)
In the East’s finals a hot matchup is in store. With LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all ready to do battle, this series is set to be feisty.
While the Celtics are in good spirit following their game seven win against the Sixers, Miami has had the opportunity to relax and rest players after wrapping up their series with the Indiana Pacers in six games.
The Miami Heat knocked out the Celtics in the second-round of last year’s playoffs. Ready for revenge, this Boston side is surely fighting for one last shot at a championship with this crop of players.
Having beaten Atlanta in six games and Philadelphia seven, the aging Boston starters are beginning to feel the strain of a compacted regular and post-season. While Miami have eased through their first two rounds, the loss of Chris Bosh in game one against the Pacers due to a lower-abdominal strain may be their Achilles heel.
Currently ruled out indefinitely, Miami’s coach Eric Spoelstra feels that in the mean time his team has to start focusing on winning games without Bosh.
“For me,” said Spoelstra, “it’s my responsibility right now to prepare this team without him. And if and when it gets to a point where he starts to emerge into the picture, we will gladly deal with that, because we’re a more dangerous offensive team, more dangerous defensive team when he’s in the mix.”
While the Celtics won three out of four of the regular season matchups, they were far from an accurate measure of these sides’ abilities. Heading into game one, a man that is sure to make a difference is Boston’s point guard, Rajon Rondo.
Known as sulky, reserved and occasionally volatile, Rondo has the key to unlock Miami. Leaps and bounds better than his opponent throughout the coming series (Mario Chalmers), Rondo is fresh off a triple double in the Celtics game seven win over the Sixers and has a strong record against LeBron and crew this year.
He will have to be the man who finds Kevin Garnett off the pick and rolls or down low. Having moved to the centre position Garnett has thrived and is the best big-man in this series. If he and Rondo are able to stay hungry and consistent throughout the round they may have a shot.
For Miami it’s all about LeBron and D-Wade. Without the injured Chris Bosh the side came together in the final three games against the Pacers and have now become a more solid, running unit.
With the three-time MVP facing off against an aging Paul Pierce and the electric Dwayne Wade being guarded by a non-comparable Ray Allen, Miami’s strengths are obvious. While Ray Allen looks marginally injured or just completely out of sync, playing defence on D-Wade will not be a pretty sight for Boston fans.
Meanwhile, LeBron’s brute force and speed will make him too much for Pierce. Although Pierce is still playing strong in his mid-thirties, competing defensively against the most dominant player in the NBA today is something not even “The Truth” can cope with.
Although LeBron’s ability to go missing when the team needs a clutch performance in the playoffs is something that could come back to haunt them, with D-Wade in reserve, there’s unlikely to be any panic from Eric Spoelstra.
My prediction, Miami in seven.