The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to face the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 Western Conference Finals. Are they finally read to win a title?
They have perhaps one of the best scorers of all-time in newly-crowned 2014 MVP, Kevin Durant, they have the most athletic point in NBA history in Russell Westbrook, their starting five is a great defensive unit, their bigs can bother any front court in the NBA.
Oklahoma City is not just an up-and-coming team anymore, now they have become experienced bunch of players who are hungry for a championship.
But are the Thunder ready to win a title? In order to do that, they need to beat an old nemesis – The San Antonio Spurs.
Serge Ibaka has suffered a calf injury and he is most likely out for the rest of the playoffs. Big deal? Well it can be, but it really doesn’t have to be.
Let’s face it, Durant and Westbrook are the best duo in the NBA now. That is just a fact. If it turns out that Ibaka can’t go, those two need to step up big time. They often take turns, and the offense is staggering, so that can be a problem. But, the Thunder has to live with that. Bigs will need to try to stop Tim Duncan. That would have been Ibaka’s job, but now somebody else needs to step up.
Nobody is really talking about Scott Brooks, but he needs to be criticized. He often lets Westbrook and Durant to dictate the game, and sometimes it just seems that he doesn’t have what it takes to take a team to the promised land. They don’t run plays in the fourth quarter, they live and die with Westbrook and Durant.
Even though they will be shorthanded, two best players on the floor will still be Durant and Westbrook. If they can get it going, it’s over for the Spurs, they are just too much to handle on both sides of the floor. Now they have no chance but to let Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook operate.
They are going to rise to the occasion.
If they get to the Finals, there is no doubt that the Thunder will be on a mission to avenge their 2012 Finals loss to the Miami Heat. KD has always talked about how he is tired of being second. Well, he finally won something, his first MVP award. If he really wants to take that ‘second’ off his name, he is going to have to win the Finals, especially if the Thunder faces the Heat and the King, LeBron James.
Does Durant have what it takes? Yes, he does.
Even though the Thunder are not a perfect basketball team, they are the most talented. Superstars win championships. Team effort is always needed, role players always have to step up and help out, but in the end, it comes down to superstars like James, Durant, Dwyane Wade and Westbrook to win that title for their team.
OKC’s window is still open, but it will start to close soon. They better win that ring now, or next year. Because it will be too late in 2016.