NBA Playoffs 2012 Predictions: Lakers and Thunder Will Determine Best of West

When the Western Conference Finals arrive, the bright lights of the big city will meet subtle small town swag. I respect the job Gregg Popovich has done with the Spurs, and the Clippers are certainly on the upswing, but neither will be in the Western Conference Finals.

The West will be represented by the Lakers and the Thunder. The Thunder are the sexy choice, so I'm sure I won't get many arguments there.

They stand at 42-15, the second best record in the NBA. They have ruled the West from day one, and they haven't let many fans down who predicted a big year after last year's playoff run.

The Lakers have been the biggest soap opera this side of the Knicks and Magic, but the talent and experience can't be ignored.

The Lakers lead the Pacific division by one game and they sit in the third spot in the Western Conference.

With the Thunder holding the top spot, the two teams can't meet before the conference finals. 

Let's look at the likely path for both teams.

Oklahoma City's Path

The Thunder could sweep the Nuggets in the first round. That is, if the Nuggets hold onto the final spot. The Suns and the Jazz trail them by a game and 1.5 games respectively.

The opponent will be pure semantics as the Thunder will handle either of them easily.

The second round will be a dog fight either way. The winner of the LA Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies' series will be a true contender. 

The Clippers aren't as solid defensively, and the core for the Grizzlies has been together longer. Because of those factors, I lean towards Memphis in that series. 

In another rematch from the Thunder's 2011 path, OKC should knock off Memphis again. They have taken three of four from the Grizzlies this season, even though they lost the most recent meeting.

Regular season doesn't tell the entire story, but the Grizzlies were a better team at this time last season. They couldn't handle OKC then, and they won't beat them this year either.

With that victory, the Thunder will return to the Western Conference Finals.

LA Lakers' Path

Nothing is easy for this Lakers' team. That won't change in the playoffs either. We will watch the Lakers drop a game against the Rockets, and the others will be hard fought. In the end, talent and size will put LA past Houston.

The Rockets simply don't have a frontcourt capable of competing with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. The Lakers will pound the Rockets on the glass and reduce them to jump-shot shooters.

In the second round, the Lakers' pride will beg for the Mavericks, so they can avenge their postseason defeat from last year. But the Mavs won't hold up their end of the bargain.

Dallas will lose to the Spurs in the first round, setting up a Spurs vs. Lakers clash.

The Spurs have accomplished what most believed was impossible. They have remained among the elite teams in the NBA, despite age and injuries.

That said—they can't beat the Lakers in a series. Defensively they are middle of the pack (17th in points allowed), and they can't keep LA off the glass. The Lakers are the second best rebounding team in the NBA, and the big frontcourt will control the boards.

My prediction would be Lakers in six, as the Spurs are awfully tough at home, but the Lakers will be ready for the postseason,

Lakers vs. Thunder

The Lakers and Thunder will be a great matchup of the old guard vs. the new school. This could very well be the last time we see Kobe Bryant this deep in the playoffs in a Lakers uniform. Meanwhile, seeing Durant this deep will be common place for the next 10 seasons.

Derek Fisher will try to stick it to his former mates, and that dynamic only adds to the intrigue.

Is this the year the Thunder punches their first ticket to the Finals, or does the Lakeshow have one more run left in them?

I can't wait to find out.