Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James: Which Superstar Has the Advantage in NBA Finals?

With the start of the 2012 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat quickly approaching, it's only natural to look to what is easily the most glamorous matchup among all the positions: LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant.

After all, how many times do we get to witness the two best players in the world going head-to-head, much less have them potentially guarding each other throughout the series?

Before proceeding any further, though, it is important to note that this matchup will not determine the result of the Finals, and my predicted advantage-holder here may not be the same as my predicted winner of the series as a whole. 

So, which superstar has the advantage in the Finals: LeBron James or Kevin Durant? 

Despite the defensive pressure that James will face from Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka, plus the rest of the Thunder roster, the advantage is unequivocally there for him to lose. 

Durant's greatest strength as a basketball player is, in a very simplified way of expressing it, his ability to put the ball in the basket. There's a reason that he has led the entire NBA in scoring during each and every one of the last three seasons. 

However, even with regards to scoring, Durant is performing at a lower level than LeBron during the postseason. Durant is scoring 27.8 points per game during the postseason on 50.5 percent shooting, with an effective field goal percentage of 55.6 and a true shooting percentage of 62.6. 

Meanwhile, LeBron has put the ball in the basket to the tune of a playoff-high 30.8 points per game on 50.8 percent shooting, while posting an effective field goal percentage of 53.2 and a true shooting percentage of 58.1. 

While Durant has been a bit more efficient, thanks to LeBron's prolonged struggles from the charity stripe and Durant's proficiency from downtown, the two have subjectively been about even in the scoring department. Durant's efficiency is just enough to cancel out LeBron's increased quantity, but it's not enough for me to call him the better playoff scorer. 

Additionally, LeBron has faced a much more difficult gauntlet of defenses during the playoffs while producing those elite numbers. Using defensive rating during the regular season as a measuring stick, the Heat have faced and eliminated the No. 5 (New York Knicks), No. 9 (Indiana Pacers) and No. 1 (Boston Celtics) defenses in the league. 

Durant, on the other hand, has done the same to the No. 8 (Dallas Mavericks), No. 13 (Los Angeles Lakers) and No. 11 (San Antonio Spurs) defenses. Forgive me, but I'm less impressed by that. 

If Durant doesn't have the advantage when it comes to scoring the ball, what advantage can he possibly have when it comes to the individual matchup? 

He's not the otherworldly defender that LeBron James is, and his skills as a facilitator have always been much-maligned, although he is quickly improving in that department. 

The one distinct advantage that Durant does possess is the inherent ability to make the players around him better just by what seems like his sheer presence. That may be enough to give the Thunder the overall advantage in the series, but in terms of superstardom, he's clearly coming in at a tier just below LeBron.