NBA Finals 2012 Heat vs. Thunder: Perspective Going into the NBA Finals

LeBron James. Kevin Durant. MVP. Scoring Champ. It doesn't get much better than the NBA Finals that are set to begin tonight. The two best players in the league go head-to-head, each in search of their first NBA Championship. If the Heat win, LeBron will have finally silenced many of the numerous critics. If the Thunder win, whether fair or not, many will consider Durant the new king of the league. 

One team manufactured by secret meetings of All-Stars coming together to join force. The other built from the ground up through the draft and grooming it's own players. The big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh versus the big three of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Two coaches, each looking to win their first rings during their first gigs as head coaches. 

The Thunder are coming off a dominant four-game winning streak against the previously invincible San Antonio Spurs. The Heat outlasted the Boston Celtics, winning the series with a 28-15 beat-down in the fourth quarter of Game 7. 

Coming into Game 1, the Thunder should have an advantage with the Heat likely to struggle adjusting to the speed with which the Thunder play. This is quite the contrary to the style of the older Celtics team. What is worrisome for Miami is that even when playing against a slower team, often times the Heat were still beaten down the floor in transition. During halftime of Game 4, Rondo was asked what the Celtics were looking to exploit. He responded by saying, “them complaining and crying to the referees in transition.”

That kind of lackadaisical defense won't work against the fast and high-flying Thunder team. 

Just like in Game 7, for the Heat to be most successful, they need Chris Bosh to not only play, but to play well. If Bosh plays well, and the Heat get a good game out of either LeBron or Wade and a decent game out of the other, they should be very competitive in the series. If Bosh isn't able to play well, whether it be due to injury or just poor performance, the series could be decided quickly if not for spectacular performances from James. Not that he isn't capable of that (i.e. 45,15,5). 

Whichever way the series swings, it is important to note just how special this series could and should be. It isn't often that the league's two best players get to go head-to-head repeatedly, hopefully for seven games. 

While many will root against the Heat because they view LeBron as the villain, many will ignore the villainous traits of Oklahoma City owner Clay Bennett whose shading dealings stole a team away from an entire city. But this series isn't about that. It isn't good (Durant) versus evil (LeBron). It should simply be a celebration of basketball and the two best that play the sport. 

This series will go on to become a notch in both Durant's and LeBron's legacies, good or bad, but it shouldn't go on to define their legacies outright. Both players are still young and have plenty of basketball left to play and championships to be potentially won. This likely isn't the last chance Lebron or Durant will get to win a championship. 

While the world, myself included, desperately wanted to see Kobe Bryant and LeBron James go toe-to-toe in the NBA Finals, this is better. Instead of one player in his prime and the other aging clinging to that level, we get one player in his prime and another just reaching his peak. It looks as if these two are going to continue dominating the NBA landscape for quite some time and maybe, just maybe, this is the start of a great rivalry of historical significance. But again, that's not the point right now, but rather down the road. 

Now it's just time to sit down and enjoy the great display of basketball that is set to come our way.