Thunder vs. Spurs: Kendrick Perkins and Role Players Who Will Decide West Finals

Kendrick Perkins is one of several role players who will have a profound impact on the Western Conference Finals series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

Whether it's the bench-scoring sixth man, the defensively strong center or the veteran forward who rebounds, the performance of the role players will ultimately make the difference in this series.

Let's look at the crucial role players in this series.

Kendrick Perkins

The Oklahoma City Thunder became a championship contender when they traded for Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins at the trade deadline last year.

Perkins gives Oklahoma City the defensive and rebounding center they have lacked for a long time, even for much of the team's Seattle SuperSonics days.

He's a strong one-on-one post defender and also does a great job being a help defender when the perimeter players get beat by their man.

Perkins' shot blocking with power forward Serge Ibaka is a major component of the Thunder's defensive strength, and this tandem will be huge in the series. Stopping Duncan and the other Spurs big men will be a key battle.

Lastly, Perkins' championship experience will be immense for a young Thunder squad who are returning to the Western Finals after being convincingly beaten by the Dallas Mavericks last season.

Tiago Splitter

Spurs center Tiago Splitter will have to defend well against the Thunder scorers such as Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook for San Antonio to win this series.

The Thunder have several players, especially Westbrook, who love to drive to the basket and score at the rim. This means Spiltter's defense in the paint must be strong throughout the series.

Nick Collison

The Thunder forward is one of the most experienced players on the team and someone who will play an important role on defense.

When Collison comes off the bench, he will likely guard Duncan. If he can frustrate Duncan and make him work hard at both ends of the floor, the Thunder will be able to exploit the Spurs' veteran late in the game.

Collison's rebounding and post defense will be a big part of Oklahoma City's bench in this series.

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Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report