Warriors, Thunder Is What Fans Wanted
- By Shaki N. Wilson
- May 15, 2016
- 2 min read
Let me begin by saying that I like the San Antonio Spurs. What they accomplished during the regular season was remarkable, going 67-15 and playing steady, consistent basketball while the Golden State Warriors grabbed most of the headlines. The addition of LaMarcus Aldridge looked like final piece of a championship puzzle that already had the Big Three of Duncan/Parker/Ginobili. Add to that the all-around play of Kawhi Leonard and the coaching of Gregg Popovich and the Spurs/Warriors Western Conference Final was going to be a classic.
Funny thing happened on the way to those finals and that was the Oklahoma City Thunder. You remember the Thunder, right? The team that has two of the top ten players in the NBA in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The team that has been one of the best in the league since 2012 when they reached the NBA Finals. The team that has a MVP on the roster and another who finished second this season. It might be easy to forget them, but don't be surprised by their success.
At one point, the Thunder were looked at as the rising team in the NBA, not the Warriors. They were the team that had the superstar with unbelievable talents in Durant. They were going to be the team to beat in the NBA for years to come. Since losing to the Miami Heat in the 2012 finals, the Thunder have not made a return to the championship. In 2015 they failed to make the playoffs, due in large part to Durant's foot injury. This led the front office in making changes that included firing head coach Scott Brooks and hiring former Florida head man Billy Donovan.
After slaying one giant in the semi-finals, the Thunder now look forward to facing the defending NBA champions in the conference finals. The Warriors defeated the Thunder all three times during the regular season, but the Thunder posed as a serious challenger to Golden State. Westbrook has the size and speed to make Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson work hard on defense. Durant is a matchup nightmare for any opposing player, even a great defensive player like Draymond Green. Both teams have deep and dependable bench players that can contribute on both sides of the ball.
Yeah, it would have been nice to see the top two teams according to record, square off in the conference finals. After all the Warriors and Spurs were having historic seasons; Golden State's pursuit and conquer of the regular season win mark and the Spurs tying the best home record. But in the end, we the fans will get to watch the two best teams in the Western Conference face off. We want to see Curry and Thompson in a shootout against Durant and Westbrook. We want to see if Green can slow down Durant and play mind games with Westbrook. We want to see which team's bench can outscore the other. So don't fret basketball fans, this Warriors/Thunder series should be a classic.
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