NBA Finals Preview

The one we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Oklahoma City Thunder v Miami Heat, Big Three v Big Three, Three-time MVP v Three-time scoring Champion, Kevin Durant v LeBron James.

It couldn’t have been scripted any better and is sure to captivate every NBA fan worldwide as they all clamber to see who will come out on top of this battle of the best.

Early on in the Eastern Conference finals it didn’t look like this matchup was going to be possible. OKC were trailing the San Antonio Spurs 2-0 and Miami trailed the Boston Celtics 3-2.

Combining for 75-points in game seven, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden led the Thunder fight back.

Big shots, solid defence and a strong team unity helped OKC overcome a San Antonio side who looked unbeatable entering the Conference Finals.

It was no easy feat though as it is just the eighth time in NBA history that a team has won a best-of-seven series with four consecutive wins after trailing 2-0.

For Miami and LeBron it was their finest hour. After their crushing defeat in last years finals at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks both have suffered constant scrutiny and on Saturday night LBJ managed to silence those critics, if only for a few days.

Regularly put down for his lack of ability to perform in the clutch moments, LeBron poured in 45-points and grabbed 15-rebounds en route to a 98-79 victory in game six before adding 31-points and 12-rebounds in their series clinching game seven.

The NBA finals are a step up in pressure though and while LBJ and co. have been here before, KD35 and the Thunder have home-court advantage.

Oklahoma City Thunder v Miami Heat

For OKC this is the ultimate test. Three years ago they started the season 3-29, on pace for the worst record in the league.

This season they started 26-7 and go into the finals with home-court advantage, a far cry from the side that moved to Oklahoma from Seattle in 2008.

Their run to the finals has been no easy ride. Beating the Los Angeles Lakers, Mavericks and Spurs, they have dismantled teams that have won ten of the past thirteen NBA championships.

They have done it behind their talented big three and a solid defence that allows them to break quickly on teams scoring easy buckets.

Serge Ibaka is the key inside for OKC. With Kendrick Perkins helping out in the paint, the duo make it tough for any big men to gain an inch and Chris Bosh will have to look to assert himself early on if he wants to play a big part in these finals.

Frustratingly, Ibaka and Perkins are not so effective on the offensive side of the court. Ibaka’s 11 for 11 shooting performance in the Game 4 win against the Spurs was spectacular but far from the norm.

The offensive duties lay in the hands of the Big Three. With Westbrook starting alongside Durant, he is the guy who sets the tempo for the Thunder and going head to head with Mario Chalmers in this series he is likely to attack from the word go.

The third wheel in OKC’s trio is James Harden. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Harden is as deadly as KD and Westbrook without the hype.

Coming off the bench usually for Durant, Harden is an offensive firepower who is able to knock down big shots and has averaged 17.6 points, 3.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds so far in these playoffs.

Meanwhile, for Miami it is a second straight trip to the finals after an epic seven-game battle with the Celtics.

Coming out on top thanks to a LeBron inspired game six and seven, the Heat have a chance to silence all those doubters who revelled in their finals defeat last season.

“It’s been a long 12 months,” said Miami’s guard Dwayne Wade. “You play and you try to get back to this moment again, so you can put yourself in that position again to succeed. That’s all you can ask for.”

While James is the man in question, it will be Wade who may hold the key to any finals success for the Heat.

Winning the Finals MVP en route to the franchise’s first NBA championship in 2006, Wade knows what it takes to become a champion and had displayed in these playoffs the ability he has to perform in the clutch.

Scoring 9 of his 23 game seven points in the fourth quarter, Wade once again showed his calmness under pressure.

This time he has Chris Bosh to feed inside rather than Shaquille O’Neal. Going up against Ibaka and Perkins, Bosh will have to look to exploit his mid-range jump shot while ensuring OKC’s big men don’t find their offensive rhythm.

For either side their bench will play a role. Although both teams rely on a rotation of mainly six or seven players, both pose threats from the bench.

Harden has already shown what he is made of and with Thabo Sefolosha defensively playing at his peak and Derek Fisher beginning to knock down shots in the playoffs, they can’t be forgotten.

Mike Miller is an offensive weapon and Shane Battier has begun to knock down open looks for Miami but while both sides will look to make the most of every player in their roster, fans are gearing up for the ultimate showdown as Durant and LeBron compete for the ultimate prize.

LeBron James v Kevin Durant

There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that this is where the NBA Finals will be won and lost. Going head-to-head offensively and defensively fans are in store for a battle of the titans.

We know both are capable of taking over a game if needs be and in a series such as this, expect both to be looking to do so whenever possible.

Statistically, James has the edge over the younger Durant in the playoffs. Averaging 30.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2 steals per game compared to Durant’s 27.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game, he comes out on top.

Offensively, Durant is the more likely to struggle out of the two. While he is the current scoring champion, he will have to cope with a strong mix of LBJ, Bosh and Battier marking him.

LeBron on the other hand will only have to take on Durant, Harden or Sefolosha, neither of whom provide enough strength to stop James.

Although the season series was split at one win apiece, if LeBron is able to continue the dominant form he has shown so far in these playoffs, it is hard to see anyone slowing him down.

“He’s playing at a historic level in these playoffs,” said Miami coach Eric Spoelstra. “We needed every single bit of it. He’s pushing himself beyond his limits and he’s pushing the rest of the team as well.”

While we’ve come to expect an end of playoffs drop off from James, the fire in his eyes during these playoffs has been unlike anything we’ve seen from him before and, while it is likely to be one the closest finals in recent years, it has to be LeBron’s time this year… doesn’t it?

My prediction, Miami in Seven.