Heat-Thunder Finals Preview

The 2012 version of the NBA Finals is set.  The Miami Heat who are lead by the leagues MVP, LeBron James, head out to the Mid-West to face the Oklahoma City Thunder and regular season scoring champion, Kevin Durant.

Via @NBAHistory via Twitter, made it known this morning that the last time the regular season MVP and scoring champ faced off in the Finals was in 1997 when MVP Karl Malone's Jazz battled scoring champion Michael Jordan's Bulls.  Jordan's Bulls got the better of Malone's Jazz in '97, winning the title 4-2.  We will have to wait and see if Kevin Durant can duplicate the outcome of when the last time the scoring champ and MVP met up if the Finals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder took a gigantic championship step forward in the Western Conference Finals by taking out the top seeded San Antonio Spurs.  After games one and two of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder found themselves down 2-0 to the veteran Spurs, but found the fortitude to dig out of their 0-2 hole and conquer San Antonio by winning four straight and taking the conference championship 4-2.

The Miami Heat found themselves on a different path.  Up 2-0 over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat would drop three straight and go down 3-2 with a road elimination game six staring them in the face.  With the sports world burying the Heat before they were dead, LeBron James put on one of the greatest postseason performances in history.  James would help clinch game six for Miami, scoring 45 points on 19-26 shooting and pull down 15 rebounds.  The Heat would go onto win game seven at home, becoming back-to-back champions of the Eastern Conference.

The NBA Finals tips-off on Tuesday night at 9ET on ABC.  This years Finals is engulfed with some of the biggest superstars in the game today; meaning this could be one of the most entertaining NBA Finals ever. 

The Keys for OKC in this series rely on taking care of home court.  The Finals shifts from the standard 2-2-1-1-1 format for home and road games to 2-3-2.  This means that the Thunder cannot afford to split the first two games at home.  They must protect home court.  An early loss at home means that Miami could potentially close out the series on their own home court.  Games one and two are always important for the team with home court advantage, but the importance is magnified in the Finals.

The Thunder can't buckle on basketball's biggest stage.  OKC is still a young team making their first ever Finals appearance.  Every starter for the Thunder, except for Kendrick Perkins, is making their Finals debut.  Their opponent has redemption on their mind and are fueled by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.  OKC has stars of their own, but they will be tested by Miami's "big 3."  The Heat will try and rattle OKC early on by attacking the basket on every possession until the Thunder wilt and give away a home game in the first two meetings.  If the Thunder can stand together and weather Miami's initial blow, then they could find themselves with a tremendous advantage when the series shifts to South Beach for games, three, four, and five (if necessary).

The Heat have the slight benefit of having past Finals experience.  James is making his third appearance, Wade his third, and Bosh is making his second.  Heat Forward Udonis Haslem was on Miami's 2006 Championship team along with Wade, so this will be his third showing in the Finals for Haslem as well.  The Heat were in this position last year, so they understand the ups and downs that can surface.  They seemed to have already shown that have learned from last years Finals let down against the Dallas Mavericks in their previous series against Boston. 

Miami crumbled in an elimination game six against Dallas, but have proven they can win in the face of elimination when they thumped the Celtics in game six, 98-79.  Despite all of the negative attention surrounding the Heat leading up to game six in Boston, Miami went out on the court and proved that they were quick learners.  The Heat put last seasons Finals collapse behind them with the win in Boston and shedded their past persona along with it. 

Defensively both teams are poised for a showdown.  The Heat have a slight advantage only allowing opponents to score on average 88 points per game throughout the postseason.  The Thunder have allowed a few more with around 96 points per game this postseason.  The only difference is that offensively OKC has been averaging 102 points a game while Miami is only averaging 96 points.  The numbers don't completely even out, but both teams match-up nicely on both ends of the floor.

As far as role players go, OKC has the clear advantage.  Outside of their 'big 3," Miami has struggled to get their other guys going. 

OKC on the other hand has not.  Thunder Forward Serge Ibaka lead the regular season in blocked shots and currently leads the postseason in blocked shots as well as field goal percentage.  Guard Thabo Sefolosha proved to be a lock down defender against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.  Sefolosha gave Spurs Point Guard Tony Parker fits and in doing so, disrupted San Antonio's "pick and roll" offense.  Thunder Center Kendrick Perkins, brings with him Finals experience from the 2008 Finals when he was with the Celtics and will also serve as a force down low for the Thunder in this series against the Heat.  Thunder back-up Guard Derek Fisher gives OKC leadership and past championship experience from his Laker days as well.  Huge plus for the Thunder in the role player department. 

The 2012 NBA Finals is going to be insane.  With so many advantages and dis-advantages playing out, it seems as if pure determination will determine the outcome.

The Thunder are here to stay.  In fact we probably need to get used to this Finals match-up going forward for the next couple of years.  Heat-Thunder could very well end up becoming this decades version of Lakers-Celtics from the 1980's.  The Heat however, have developed a new sense of tenacity and it didn't let them down against Boston prior to earning their second straight trip back to the NBA Finals.

The Heat will need Forward Chris Bosh to stay healthy and play huge against OKC if the Heat plan to hoist the trophy by series end.  James and Wade have carried the Heat in every game this postseason and will continue to do so in the Finals.  They need Bosh though.  His ability to energize everyone on the court is irreplaceable.  Bosh is clearly the guy that keeps his team focused.  The Heat will need his presence on the court if and when they face adversity against the Thunder.

Both teams want this championship more then anything, but Miami's experience and leaders will carry them over the hump in this one.  I've got the Heat over the Thunder in seven.