NBA Playoffs 2012: Why the Thunder Are a Choke Job Waiting to Happen

Kevin Durant is considered one of the games top closers, but if the Oklahoma City Thunder rely on his jumper to bail them out at the end of games, an early exit from the playoffs can be expected before the Finals for this young, talented and now experienced group.

The western conference has an array of talented teams in comparison to the east due to the past weekends unfortunate injuries suffered by the Bulls Derrick Rose and the Knicks Iman Shumpert. 

The Miami Heat now have a path to the Finals that has seemed to ease itself, and the eastern conference has actually lost some of it's playoff luster.

Out west though, the Thunder have real issues.

As the season progressed, the Thunder looked as if they were destined to be the top seed out west and a threat to run through the conference on their way to the Finals without any competition or objections.

Then, the San Antonio Spurs crept and stole that coveted spot from the Thunder making the route from Oklahoma to the Finals much harder.

The Thunder's first opponent, the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, aren't going to go down easy and only lost Game 1 of this series 98-99 in Oklahoma on a last second shot by Durant.

Throughout Game 1, the Mavericks seemed calm in the loud and raucous Chesapeake Energy arena.  Reality is, Dirk Nowitzki did calmly nail two free throws that put the Mavericks ahead 98-97 moments before Durant's buzzer-beater. 

However, this series ends for the Thunder, the road isn't getting sweeter because two seven-footers in Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol will most likely await.

Along with the game's best in Kobe Bryant. 

Bryant is not only chasing a sixth championship ring to tie Michael Jordan, but seems to truly believe this year's Lakers team isn't here to make a statement and compete—this Lakers team is built to win a championship.

The way the Lakers look from top to bottom, who can argue that?  

Unfortunately for Oklahoma, which seems to play very well in Los Angeles, this would only be the conference semi-finals.

If the Thunder do win whomever their semi-final opponent is, most likely, in the conference finals will wait the San Antonio Spurs.

The Spurs are probably tired of hearing how old they are, and Tony Parker had what some call an MVP season. 

Satisfied in just making the playoffs and making graceful exits can't be said about the Spurs or the Lakers.

With the recent addition of former 2003 championship teammate Stephen Jackson and battle tested Boris Diaw, the Spurs have a roster built to contend well into June.

Again, out east, the Miami Heat have the easier route while the Thunder have valid concerns and an unwarranted share of real obstacles in this year's playoffs. 

Russell Westbrook and his in-game pouting are minimal compared to the obstacles that are likely to include the defending champion Mavericks, the two years removed NBA champion Lakers, the four-time champion Spurs and last year's championship loser in the Heat. 

Should be coach of the year Scott Brooks really has the ingredients to win it all. 

Durant and Westbrook score while Serge Ibaka fills up the stat sheet.

Kendrick Perkins protects the paint and James Harden could be a starter.

But with a possible and highly likely path like this to the NBA Finals, it's a wonder if the Thunder won't crack somewhere along the way.