NBA Finals 2012: Why Russell Westbrook Will Make or Break OKC'S Chances

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be in a world of hurt if Russell Westbrook isn't making his typical contributions against the Miami Heat.

That's bad news because, as of late, he hasn't been.

Westbrook shot a combined 31 percent in two games against Miami this season, including a 4-16 shooting performance in a March 25 home game the Thunder somehow managed to win by 16 points. He wasn't much better off last season, making just 32 percent of his shot attempts in two more games.

Of course, Westbrook is a streaky shooter to begin with. It's not necessarily the case that Miami is especially well-equipped to stop him.

He's more than capable of stopping himself at any given time.

Still, there are a few reasons the Heat won't make life any easier on the 23-year-old shoot-first point guard.

While Mario Chalmers isn't much better than average on the defensive end, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see the bigger, stronger Dwyane Wade check Westbrook on especially important possessions. Nor would anyone expect anything less than plenty of help from Miami's arsenal of long defenders, especially in pick-and-roll situations.

When focused, the Heat are also as good as any club at getting back to defend their basket on transition opportunities—when there are transition opportunities, that is.

The Heat turned the ball over just 13.1 times per game this year, the sixth-best mark in the league. They also made 46 percent of their field-goal attempts (third best in the NBA) and shot 27.8 free-throws a game (second best overall).

That puts a crimp in Westbrook's game.

The lightning-quick scorer is at his best in the open floor, when he can catch defenders off guard. Whether pulling up for a mid-range jumper or taking the ball directly to the rim, OKC's second-leading scorer is far more adept at pushing the action than he is at orchestrating a balanced half-court attack.

Obviously, Westbrook can still make a difference.

When sixth man James Harden is in the game, the Heat will have to make some difficult decisions. Both Westbrook and Harden can score from the inside and outside alike, and Wade can't guard both of them.

He can also make a difference by simply allowing the rest of the Thunder to do their thing. That's more or less what he was doing as OKC turned the Western Conference Finals around.

In Games 3 and 4, Westbrook took just 25 field-goal attempts, but his team still managed to even up the series.

Sometimes less is more, especially when Westbrook is involved. If he isn't taking games over against Miami, he may be better off fading to the background while the Thunder's underrated supporting cast lives up to its potential.