NBA Finals 2012: Oklahoma City Thunder Must Not Tinker with Winning Formula
It took only one home loss in the NBA Finals for critics of the Oklahoma City Thunder to question the strategy going forward. Still, the players and coaches should not change a thing.
The Thunder finished the regular season with the third-best record in the NBA. In the playoffs, the young squad defeated perennial contenders in the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs, and they only lost three total games in the process.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals saw Oklahoma City feed off the home crowd for a double-digit victory over the Miami Heat. However, a four-point loss to the Heat in Game 2 has people already jumping off the bandwagon.
Russell Westbrook is being questioned for his distributing ability. Respected analysts Magic Johnson and Stephen A. Smith each ridiculed the point guard's performance in Game 2. Still, they fail to mention that his scoring ability is part of the reason the Thunder have reached this stage.
Westbrook was fifth in the NBA with 23.6 points per game. There are better facilitators in the league, but the Oklahoma City offense functions with great scorers, and Westbrook is one of the best around.
The fourth-year player told the media before practice (via ESPN), "I'm not making no adjustments, regardless of what anybody says. I'm going to play my game regardless of what happens."
Good for him. Why change something that has worked for so long against the best teams in the league?
Another person keeping his stance at this stage is head coach Scott Brooks. Poor starts in the first two games have caused some to question the starting lineup and why Sixth Man of the Year James Harden does not get in the game sooner.
Fortunately, Brooks shows no sign of adjusting the team's strategy. Harden has come off the bench in the first 17 playoff games this year, and he should come off the bench for the rest of them.
Making adjustments is an important part of sports. When something is not working, it is vital that the players and staff do what is necessary to fix it.
However, the Thunder have had enough success this season to believe that their style of play can win a title. It worked against the Lakers, it worked against the Spurs and, with some confidence, it will work against the Heat.
