Thunder vs. Heat: Which Dynamic Duo Will Have the Advantage of Chemistry?
The Oklahoma City Thunder head to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat in a possible preview of an NBA Finals showdown. In the end, the Heat's tandem of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade hold an advantage over the dominance of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
The obvious storyline heading into Wednesday night's game at AmericanAirlines Arena is that we may have our last taste of a prelude to greatness.
First, both squads have the talent to get to the Finals and would no doubt give us a seven-game possibility that we sports fans crave.
Second, there is the grudge match ethos of the game, as the Heat would love to pay back the Thunder for an Oklahoma City beatdown.
And wait—there's more.
The two teams feature Batman and Robin players who make these teams dominant forces that have so far sliced and diced their way through a strike-shortened season. So, who wins that matchup when it comes to chemistry?
Stark Similarities
The one thing that struck me when posed this question is how similar these tandems truly are.
LeBron James, without the fame, hype and Hall of Fame talent, is a forward with point guard sensibilities who wants to get his teammates involved above all else. Dwyane Wade is the closer who wants the ball late and would play with his arm cut off if it was mandated.
Kevin Durant is the consummate leader who keeps his mouth shut and plays to win. Meanwhile, his Robin is a scorer who wants everyone to know that he can be Batman in a blink of an eye.
When you combine both, the Thunder's tandem equals a hunger to score, a willingness to win and the ability to do both. The Heat have no less.
But there are marked differences that give the edge to Miami.
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook
These two have had a remarkable season that has seen them score 2,711 points—a mark that Hardwood Paroxysm's Clint Peterson tells us accounts for a touch better than half the team's output.
We, of course, have to bring up the bench dust-up between the two stars in a December game against the Grizzlies, though.
Much was made of it at the time, but we all know this means little in the grand scheme of things. Tell me how Kobe Bryant and Shaq fared despite their personal issues.
What bothers me is that Westbrook takes more shots than Durant, and the Thunder are completely fine with that. Slam Online reports Durant would rather Westbrook shoot more, as the record states they are a winning ballclub when that happens.
While it may be working to the benefit of things in this regular season, the logic is meaningless in the seven-game series format of the playoffs. You want your best player to dominate the ball, and the fact that Durant—arguably the best all-around scorer in the Association—is fine with his second in command having his way is troubling, to say the least.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade
This brings me to a work in progress that continues to get better the more we learn about LeBron James.
Again, the fact that Wade and James are BFFs is just as meaningless as Durant and Westbrook possibly being at odds. What works is the on-court chemistry, and this is the one that has the most hope for lasting success.
James proved, once again, that he can dominate when he is on his own, dropping a season-high 41 without Wade over the 76ers.
The more these two play with one another, the more they adapt into the roles that perfectly suit them.
Wade is the leader who has brought a great deal of poise to his killer instinct. James has the talent of Michael Jordan, the size of a linebacker and the willingness to play like Magic Johnson.
It's clear that a first ballot Hall of Fame player is willing to fit into a system and get his teammates involved, and that means all the difference.
Conclusion
Obviously, this is a photo finish.
The Thunder are having one of the best seasons we have seen from just two guys, but if we are asking who wins beyond tonight and well into the postseason, I take the Heat.
If Wade decides to play with a banged-up knee, we will have our answer, and the Heat will show on Wednesday night that they have the edge.
