Thunder vs. Spurs: Kevin Durant Must Be Perfect for OKC to Earn Trip to Finals

The two teams that should be in the Western Conference finals are there. They have been the two most dominant, most deserving teams throughout the postseason, and now they'll have to face their toughest task yet: battling each other for the right to represent the conference in the NBA Finals.

Both teams have what it takes to get there. Both teams have stars, some better than others, who can carry them all the way. Each team is strong where the other is weak; the Spurs have experience, but the Thunder have youth.

But a lack of experience didn't stop Oklahoma City from decimating the defending NBA champion Mavericks in the first round, and a lack of youth didn't stop the Spurs from sweeping a young, skilled Clippers team out of the second round.

So what will be the deciding factor?

Kevin Durant.

The Thunder star is young, but not as young as he seems. He's been around long enough to have played in Seattle. He's been around long enough for five full seasons and three trips to the playoffs. He's had enough time to develop and solidify himself as the Thunder's leader, despite the fact that his resume might not be as lengthy as Tim Duncan's or Tony Parker's.

He doesn't have a championship like they do, but he is the single best player in this series and, if he is 100 percent on his game, he has the ability to dictate the outcome.

Throughout the playoffs, Durant ranks fifth in the league in points per game (26.7). Of the four players listed ahead of him, only one—LeBron James—is still in contention. Even if he's not the leading scorer, he's still the one counted upon to knock down the most crucial shot of the game, as evidenced by his game-winning three-pointer with 13.7 seconds left in the Thunder's Game 4 win over the Lakers.

You could even argue that the Thunder's road to the conference finals has proven more than that of the Spurs. The Thunder, after all, had to face a team that's won two titles in the last four years and was responsible for their anticlimactic exit from the postseason two years ago.

But while Durant may be the best player in the series, the second and third best are both on the opposite bench. Duncan and Parker are grizzled veterans who not only know what it takes to win a title, but they also know how to play to each other's strengths to help the cause.

While Durant has Russell Westbrook around for support, Westbrook—when he's not playing at the top of his game—can hurt the team by taking and missing too many shots. Duncan and Parker will never hurt the team when they're on the court.

The Thunder may have the best player, but they don't necessarily have the best team. They will if Durant plays every game the way he played Game 4, when he tallied a double-double yet still presented a balanced offensive effort in tandem with Westbrook. If the Thunder show up for every game with that team, they can defeat a team that has yet to lose in the postseason.

But it's definitely not going to be as easy as it's been over the first two rounds.