The Thunder Will Be Your 2011-12 NBA Champions

The Thunder will be your 2011-2012 NBA Champions.

Book it.

After Monday night’s performance in San Antonio – a game in which absolutely no one thought they could win – the Thunder shocked us all. They battled a loud and emotional crowd desperate for a victory, overcame a breathtaking Manu Ginobili performance on a night where it looked like he was shot out of a cannon (34-6-7), endured early foul trouble with Serge Ibaka, handled each and every different look Pop threw at them, and set the tone for the rest of the game by ending the first quarter on a 18-6 run that took the air out of the arena and scared the s— of out fans.

The Thunder beat San Antonio at their own game. On a night where the Spurs said, “We’re going to run all night long and you’re not going to be able to keep up,” Oklahoma City shrugged, said “Okay,” then went to a level the Spurs and maybe no other team in the NBA can match. Pop tinkered with line-ups – putting DeJuan Blair at center, playing four guards at once – but nothing worked. The Thunder were too fast and too athletic.

And don’t tell me you weren’t surprised by this game. Don’t start telling me the Spurs are old and Tim Duncan is old and the Thunder have always been the better team. No. Six days ago, they were being compared to the ’91 Bulls and the ’87 Lakers. Six days ago, we were watching, “The Spurs have now won 20 games in a row. Can anyone beat this team???” on ESPN.

Everyone and their mother picked the Spurs to win game 5, and you know what – I did too, because these are the types of games the Spurs win! Nobody beats San Antonio twice in a row, then comes into the AT&T Center and wins for a third straight time. Gregg Popovich, the master of adjustments, would never allow it. He’d out-scheme you, out-think you, out-coach you, then start fouling your big man who can’t shoot free throws right when he crossed half court. The Spurs don’t lose three games in a row. Especially at home. And especially in the playoffs. In fact, the Spurs didn’t lose three games in a row during the entire 66 game regular season.

But last night they did. And after last night, we now see they lost to a better team.

Before this series, the Spurs were the better team. They cruised through the first two rounds of the playoffs, sweeping both the Jazz and Clippers in a fashion that looked as if they were unbeatable. They were playing flawless basketball – passing and cutting and shooting in a way we hadn’t seen in some time. Everyone was contributing, everyone was playing together, and no one gave a s— who took the last shot as long as they won the game. And then they ran into the Thunder.

In these last five games, the Thunder have gone to another level – a championship level. Russell Westbrook, though a poor shooting night in Game 5 (9-24), is starting to look like he “gets it.” You can call him whatever you want, a combo-guard, a scoring point guard, a shooting guard playing point guard, whatever it is, he seems to be getting it. In these last five game against the Spurs, more than in any other series thus far, Russ seems to be looking to distribute. When he comes roaring off that high pick and roll, it’s not just jumper-jumper-jumper. He’s looking at Ibaka rolling to the rim, he’s kicking to Daequan Cook in the corner (twice in a row for three’s during second quarter of game 5), he’s pulling it back out when there’s nothing there, then swinging it to Kevin Durant. Westbrook is starting to get it, and for some reason, I can’t think playing the Spurs has hurt. Playing a team five times in 10 days, a team who passes the way the Spurs pass, make decisions the way Duncan and Tony Parker do – how could that hurt him. It’s like watching film during the game. He’s learning on the go, from more mature and experienced players.

And then there’s Durant. After his game-winning baseline floater over Pau Gasol in game two vs LA, his game winning top-of-the-key three against in LA in game four, his Jordan-esque, 16-straight-point-nail-in-the-coffin performance in game 4 in San Antonio, along with the 27-7-4 on 50% shooting he’s averaging in the playoffs, you could make the argument Durant, RIGHT NOW, is the best player in the NBA. The guy can get a quality shot better and easier than anyone. At 6’11”, with his skill set and scorching late-game confidence, there’s no one else you’d rather have on your team right now then KD. After watching just about every game of the playoffs, he may be the only guy left, who, every time he shoots, no matter where it is on the floor, I think it’s going it. I can’t say that about anyone else. Maybe Paul Pierce, but that’s only if he can get a look from the elbow. Durant is deadly from anywhere.

In my opinion, the Thunder-Spurs series is over. I don’t see any scenario other than the Mayans being wrong and the world unexpectedly ending tomorrow that OKC doesn’t close out the series at home on tonight. The arena will be absolutely electric which is probably an understatement, the players will be jacked-up beyond belief, and oh-by-the-way, the Thunder haven’t dropped a single home game in the playoffs. I expect that to continue tonight. The Thunder know they can beat the Spurs, the know how to beat the Spurs, and they will beat the Spurs.

Heat or Celtics – I think it will probably be the Heat – I like the Thunder to win that series. With their star power, offensive fire power, size, depth, home court advantage and current momentum, I don’t see anyone stopping this train. Durant’s going to get his each night, even with Lebron on him. Westbrook and Wade have statically been very similar, (21-5-5 vs 23-4-5) and the Heat have absolutely no match for Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins inside. Ibaka has proved during the Spurs series he can he knock down the 15 footer, and then there’s Harden. I’m not sure who the Heat throw at him when he’s the game with Westbrook and Durant. His ability to get to the rim, taking into consideration the fact that Miami has zero rim protectors, could really hurt them. Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, James Jones – none of those guys are keeping Harden out of the lane. Sorry. Another factor in this series – fatigue. If coach Spo puts Wade on Westbrook, that’s going to take a lot of him out of the defensive end with Westbrook’s non-stop attacking style of play. I’m not sure how much Wade will have left in the tank when it comes to the offense, assuming he’ll shoot well, which he hasn’t done consistently thus far.

Plain and simple, I don’t see Miami beating the Thunder four times, I just don’t. The Thunder have bigs to protect the paint and rim (vital in the finals, and especially against Wade and Lebron), three guys who can create their own shot, one guy who can score easier than anyone, and yes, that’s including Lebron, and such an incredible home court atmosphere that it seems almost impossible for them to lose there. The Thunder will beat Miami in the NBA Finals. Durant is now the best closer in the NBA, the Thunder have the bigs to protect the rim vs Dwyane Wade and Lebron James, the size, the depth, and too much offensive fire power for the Heat to keep up with. Sorry Miami.

The Thunder in 6.

What do you think?

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