2012 NBA Playoffs: 7 Reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder Will Win It All

Forget about the names. Scrap the recognition. Throw out all of the trophies. 

The only seven games that matter are going to begin at 9:00 p.m ET on June 12, 2012. The only thing that could possibly trump this moment is...

Nothing.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have overcome the Western Conference elite. The Miami Heat have fought off a legendary team making its last stand.

Both teams are battle-tested, filled with star power and looking for their first NBA championship in the new era of the NBA. 

Though the Heat have a lot of hype coming into the series, there are several reasons why the Thunder will emerge victorious.  

Read on to find out what they are. 

7. Depth

Take away James Harden, and you have one of the league's best perimeter defenders in Thabo Sefolosha.

Eliminate Russell Westbrook, and you have a long-range threat in five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher.

Get Serge Ibaka into foul trouble, and you have a hard-nosed player in Nick Collison who has mastered the art of taking charges.

While the Heat have received some significant contributions from their role players, the quality of their supporting cast is hardly comparable to that of the Thunder.

6. Coaching

With all due respect to Erik Spoelstra, who is a much better head coach than he is given credit for, there is no comparison between him and Scott Brooks.

Brooks has moved past his mistakes and adjusted to scenarios in ways that more experienced coaches can't help but respect.

Just consider the fact that Brooks had to trade blows with Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle just to get to here. 

In the NBA Finals, expect Brooks to continue his roller-coaster coaching ride. Having to game plan for the likes of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the head coach will be reeling from time to time.

He will recover, though, and adjust to whatever strategy Miami believes is most successful.

5. Home-Court Advantage

There might not be an NBA fanbase more loud and passionate than the OKC faithful. 

The Thunder are a perfect 8-0 at home this postseason, carrying over their strong play from a stellar 26-7 regular season at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

While quality of play is clearly an important factor, the crowd's noise and energy cannot be overlooked. The Thunder thrive off their hometown support and will continue to do so when the Heat enter the building. 

This is the city's first championship series in the history of professional sports. Needless to say, this crowd will be on fire. 

4. Road Warriors

Remaining undefeated at home during the playoffs is no easy feat, but stealing road wins in Dallas, Los Angeles and San Antonio might be even more impressive. 

The Thunder took down three of the past four NBA champions to get to the Finals, doing so by holding court and performing just as well, if not better, on the road.

You can thank three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant for that, as he has hit more big shots in this postseason than any other player in the NBA.

This team may not sweep you on the road, but if you think winning home games assures victory, you are off your rocker. The Thunder define the term "road warriors."

3. Interior Defense

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James make a living in the paint.

Fortunately for the Thunder, they have a three-headed monster ready to put the lid on easy opportunities on the inside. 

Serge Ibaka is the league's best shot blocker, Kendrick Perkins is a force in the middle and Nick Collison is always willing to play physical. 

While they may lack the high-profile name of a Kevin Garnett, the Thunder are far more athletic, easily more explosive and, quite frankly, more equipped for penetration scorers than any team Miami has matched up with thus far. 

2. Counter Attack

Unlike every other team the Heat have faced in the playoffs thus far, Oklahoma City has a counter to every member of Miami's Big Three. 

For Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, there is James Harden, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka.

At their other starting positions, the Thunder have a clear advantage with former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins at center and All-Star Russell Westbrook playing the point. 

Top to bottom, there is no easy out.

As great as Miami is, they aren't built to beat teams with so many weapons on offense. 

1. Let the Rivalry Begin

Carmelo Anthony is one of the game's best scorers. Danny Granger is one of the more well-rounded players in the NBA. Paul Pierce is a Hall of Famer with an awe-inspiring track record.

Despite their long list of accolades, none of those three players are comparable to Kevin Durant at this stage in their careers. 

The next great rivalry in the NBA has officially begun, as Durant and LeBron James have set the stage for our era's Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird rivalry. 

Both are elite scorers, and with Durant's recent emergence as an elite perimeter defender, the two are poised to shut each other down.

The problem is that being poised to do so and actually getting the job done are two completely different things. As the saying goes: Good offense beats good defense.

Neither man will be denied, and for the first time this postseason, James will have too much to handle on the defensive end of the floor.