NBA Playoffs 2012: Breaking Down Best NBA Finals Matchups

With the NBA regular season nearly finished, the playoffs are going to be fascinating to watch because of the fast pace with which everyone was required to play the last five months.

If you are looking for an unpredictable postseason, this is it. 

In fact, things are going to get so crazy when the second season starts that we could see an NBA Finals no one was expecting. 

Ignoring television ratings—because those are only things that business people care about—here are the best possible matchups for the NBA Finals. 

San Antonio Spurs vs. Miami Heat

Ignoring the talent that would be on the floor, this series would be fascinating to watch just because of the dichotomy. 

The Spurs are the silent assassins, quietly sliding into the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference, but no one seems to notice because they are too old or don't play a sexy style. 

The Heat want to be flashy. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade love the spotlight, they need it to make themselves feel alive. 

If you are looking for a contrast in styles, you would be hard pressed to find a better series than this one. 

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Chicago Bulls

All you need to see is Durant vs. Rose on the marquee and you are sold. 

Sure, Durant and Rose wouldn't actually be matched up against each other, but all we care about is star power. It's hard to find two bigger stars who will represent the game of basketball better than these two superstars. 

Like the Spurs vs. Heat, this series would feature a great contrast in styles.

The Thunder want to outscore you. They play some defense, but their bread gets buttered on the offensive side of the ball. 

The Bulls are as fundamentally sound as any team in the NBA. Their offense is a little light, but rebound well and will get in the face of their opponents on defense. 

As long as Rose is healthy and able to play at the MVP-level everyone expects from him, the Bulls could be sniffing their first championship since the end of the Jordan era. 

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat

With all due respect to the Eastern Conference, there are only two teams worth paying attention to right now. Indiana has been playing great, but that team is clearly not playing at the same level as the Heat and Bulls. 

Getting back to the topic at hand, can you imagine all the storylines that would come with a series between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James?

Bryant is the grizzled veteran with five NBA championships and an opportunity to tie Michael Jordan with one more ring. 

James has taken Bryant's spot as the best player in the game, but the one thing that has eluded him up to this point has been a championship. 

LeBron is just 26 years old, so it's not as if he's on his last legs, but the backlash against James if he "chokes" in another NBA Finals would be off the charts.  

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