The 2012 NBA Finals In All Its Glory
It all starts tomorrow night. The sexiest possible match up that we could have asked for. Not since '08 when the Lakers tangled with the Celtics have the two teams that everyone thought going into the playoffs, would succeed, actually did. The question is: will it deliver?
The only logical place to start is with the Heat. Which team/player will show up? Shall we start with LeBron? During game 7, my friend texted me, "You see the stare? Kobe snarl 2.0." (Referring to the '09 title run Kobe literally growled his way all through the playoffs) Yeah I saw it, but will it last? The Heat are wildly inconsistent. If LeBron has the "Eye of the Tiger" this could be a classic in the making; or maybe even a one-sided affair? Anything is possible with "The King" engaged, but that is also a big "if" at this point, snarl or not.
What about Wade? The pressure isn't on him to quite the same extent, but he better bring it if they were to get the first of "not seven" championships. I'll also be interested to see if he keeps up his streak of hard/dirty fouls keeps up. Part of me wonders if this is an act of desperation in some cases because he knows he is slowing down?
Bosh the sniper? Could Bosh's new found stroke be the key to a Heat ring? Maybe I guess; it would be a good way to keep Ibaka off the boards and out of the lane so he wouldn't block 14 shots a game. That could very well be a key match up assuming Bosh is knocking down that shot. Then again, the Thunder may make some defensive switches or play zone, to counter this.
One thing that I'm 99.9% sure about is that the Thunder do not have to worry about Kevin Durant. He brings it every night, and is always a cool cucumber (Unlike one of teammates). He never gets worked up one way or the other. His shot may not be falling one game, but I can't see his rhythm being out of whack for more than a game.
On the defensive end, the Durant vs. LeBron story is a basketball fan's wet dream. Can Durant stop LBJ? Probably not entirely, but who can? But, should passive LeBron show up, it wouldn't matter anyway. One last thought on these two. When was the last time that the two best at their respected position (let alone best players in the game) met in the Finals? It's a tough call for sure. The only other time I can think of in recent memory is Olajuwon vs. Ewing in '94. (Which isn't really recent.)
The Thunder's wild card is of course Russell Westbrook. If he plays in control, I would give the advantage to the Thunder. If not, Durant and Harden may have to shoot (long ball) their way back into the game, which isn't always the best strategy for attack.
It's also going to be interesting to see what Harden does. If he super-subs it, the Heat obviously have no answer for that. LeBron can't play every minute of every game, and obviously Wade can't either. Does Battier have the defensive skill set anymore to give the big "2" rest?
This also may be the first Finals ever where the big men don't play any active role in the series. Perkins will stand his ground. Ibaka will get some blocks. Turiaff/Anthony/Curry/Longley/Wennigton/Purdue/Bozo will do a whole lot of nothing, and I doubt see much time, with the Heat using their small ball lineup. (How many people got that joke?) Pretty remarkable that for the entire of the history of the game, a big man has also at least played a key role in championships won, and this year may have absolutely nothing to do with it. (Unless Haslem comes to the rescue. Yes that's sarcasm.)
So I can honestly say that I'm really looking forward to this Finals. Unlike last year, which I could hardly watch due to my hatred of both teams. Yeah the Heat are there again, but my disdain for them has wained a bit, (probably to see them crash and burn) and like I said the Durant vs. LeBron storyline should be "fan"tastic. (Anyone get THAT joke?) So with all that said, I'm not picking a winner in "X" amount of games. Yes I'm rooting for the Thunder though. It will be kind of ironic if Fisher gets his sixth ring. It will be history in the making to see Durant get his first of many (hopefully). And most importantly, it will be fun to see how the Heat respond should they lose again, which I promise will lead to another blog entry.
Enjoy.
The only logical place to start is with the Heat. Which team/player will show up? Shall we start with LeBron? During game 7, my friend texted me, "You see the stare? Kobe snarl 2.0." (Referring to the '09 title run Kobe literally growled his way all through the playoffs) Yeah I saw it, but will it last? The Heat are wildly inconsistent. If LeBron has the "Eye of the Tiger" this could be a classic in the making; or maybe even a one-sided affair? Anything is possible with "The King" engaged, but that is also a big "if" at this point, snarl or not.
What about Wade? The pressure isn't on him to quite the same extent, but he better bring it if they were to get the first of "not seven" championships. I'll also be interested to see if he keeps up his streak of hard/dirty fouls keeps up. Part of me wonders if this is an act of desperation in some cases because he knows he is slowing down?
Bosh the sniper? Could Bosh's new found stroke be the key to a Heat ring? Maybe I guess; it would be a good way to keep Ibaka off the boards and out of the lane so he wouldn't block 14 shots a game. That could very well be a key match up assuming Bosh is knocking down that shot. Then again, the Thunder may make some defensive switches or play zone, to counter this.
One thing that I'm 99.9% sure about is that the Thunder do not have to worry about Kevin Durant. He brings it every night, and is always a cool cucumber (Unlike one of teammates). He never gets worked up one way or the other. His shot may not be falling one game, but I can't see his rhythm being out of whack for more than a game.
On the defensive end, the Durant vs. LeBron story is a basketball fan's wet dream. Can Durant stop LBJ? Probably not entirely, but who can? But, should passive LeBron show up, it wouldn't matter anyway. One last thought on these two. When was the last time that the two best at their respected position (let alone best players in the game) met in the Finals? It's a tough call for sure. The only other time I can think of in recent memory is Olajuwon vs. Ewing in '94. (Which isn't really recent.)
The Thunder's wild card is of course Russell Westbrook. If he plays in control, I would give the advantage to the Thunder. If not, Durant and Harden may have to shoot (long ball) their way back into the game, which isn't always the best strategy for attack.
It's also going to be interesting to see what Harden does. If he super-subs it, the Heat obviously have no answer for that. LeBron can't play every minute of every game, and obviously Wade can't either. Does Battier have the defensive skill set anymore to give the big "2" rest?
This also may be the first Finals ever where the big men don't play any active role in the series. Perkins will stand his ground. Ibaka will get some blocks. Turiaff/Anthony/Curry/Longley/Wennigton/Purdue/Bozo will do a whole lot of nothing, and I doubt see much time, with the Heat using their small ball lineup. (How many people got that joke?) Pretty remarkable that for the entire of the history of the game, a big man has also at least played a key role in championships won, and this year may have absolutely nothing to do with it. (Unless Haslem comes to the rescue. Yes that's sarcasm.)
So I can honestly say that I'm really looking forward to this Finals. Unlike last year, which I could hardly watch due to my hatred of both teams. Yeah the Heat are there again, but my disdain for them has wained a bit, (probably to see them crash and burn) and like I said the Durant vs. LeBron storyline should be "fan"tastic. (Anyone get THAT joke?) So with all that said, I'm not picking a winner in "X" amount of games. Yes I'm rooting for the Thunder though. It will be kind of ironic if Fisher gets his sixth ring. It will be history in the making to see Durant get his first of many (hopefully). And most importantly, it will be fun to see how the Heat respond should they lose again, which I promise will lead to another blog entry.
Enjoy.
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