NBA Finals 2012: Heat and Thunder Fighting to Become Next Dynasty

The Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder will begin their 2012 NBA Finals series Tuesday night, with each team looking to take their final step toward being crowned champions.

But as much as a first title is the matter of importance for players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, there may be more than that on the line.

Though clearly getting way too far ahead of the twists and turns that could change that NBA landscape over the next decade, a unique beginning could very well be on the horizon for the winner of the series.

The Heat have finally found their groove and have shown just how strong they are at the top of their game, so much so that they don't look containable when playing at full potential.

Is it a mark of a champion? Absolutely. Is it the sign of a dynasty though?

You could argue much the same for Oklahoma City. The combination of Durant and Russell Westbrook, on top of the contributions of James Harden and Serge Ibaka, are creating quite a formula of their own.

These two teams, though different from one another in many ways, could be on the path to dominance, with the core players in place. That is, if they can win the first title.

Much talk has been circulating about the Heat's "Big Three" of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh parting ways if they fail to win the championship this season.

It seems that OKC would have their young leaders for years to come even if they were to lose in the Finals. But by the Thunder losing, they would be forced to contend with a powerhouse team for years to come.

That's why this series seems even more important than those of the past. The NBA is experiencing a change of the guard, with a surprising small-market team, Oklahoma City, that could lead the way.

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming down from their place that they've held at or near the NBA's pinnacle for the entire 21st century.

The same could be said for the San Antonio Spurs, who the Thunder defeated in the Western Conference finals.

It looks as if only one other team, the Los Angeles Clippers, seems even close to being a franchise in the West that could challenge the Thunder.

The same could be said for the Heat, who may have ended the era of Boston's "Three-Party" this weekend in Game 7 of the East finals.

Like the Thunder in the West, the Heat should have one solid contender to fight them year after year, in the Chicago Bulls.

But even with a talented team here and there to test these two ultra-talented squads, it seems as if these 2012 Finals could just be a launching pad for something that could turn into much more for whoever takes home the title.

If anything, a Miami victory in the Finals could spawn an unlikely rivalry for years to come. But could either of these teams really become a dynasty?

There's not much reason to think they couldn't.