LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder: 10 Reasons Why OKC Will Take Their Throne
Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant are the two best players in the NBA. Both may be headed for a showdown in the 2011 Western Conference finals this May.
After playing the Los Angeles Lakers through six hard-fought games in last year's first round, the Oklahoma City Thunder got a taste of what playing against a champion is like when the bright lights came on.
If not for a last-second Pau Gasol tip-in in game 6 of that series, the Thunder may have beaten the Lakers in that series, and there would have been no back-to-back titles for Kobe.
Since that series came to a close, the Thunder have improved in many ways, and greatly improved their biggest weakness, interior defense.
With the addition of playoff tested Kendrick Perkins, who was acquired from the Boston Celtics at the NBA trade deadline, the Thunder have the defensive stopper in the paint they've badly needed for years.
It's been almost a year since that exciting series last season, and this year's playoffs may see the two Western powers meet again—this time for the right to go to the NBA Finals.
Let's look at 10 reasons why the Oklahoma City Thunder will overtake the Lakers in the West, and make their first NBA Finals appearance in three decades.
Nicholas Goss is a B/R Featured Columnist and a Boston Globe Correspondent. Follow him on Twitter.
Kevin Durant Is More Than a Scorer
1 of 11
Kevin Durant is a very versatile player who can score at will. He also benefits his team in a variety of other ways.
Durant is becoming a much better defensive player and rebounder than what he was as a rookie. He is starting to learn how to play when defenses design their entire game plan to shutting him down.
Lakers' forward Ron Artest did well guarding Durant in last year's playoffs. But Durant has learned from that experience, and has improved his efficiency in the regular season meetings with the Lakers this season.
Durant has also become more of a team player, looking to have his teammates more involved in the offense.
Even though his unselfishness is allowing teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden to score more, Durant still leads the NBA in scoring with 27.8ppg.
Russell Westbrook Is a Legitimate MVP Candidate
2 of 11
With all due respect to Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, Russell Westbrook deserves considerable attention when the writers vote on the 2011 NBA MVP award.
Westbrook has become a superstar this season, and has teamed with Kevin Durant to give the Thunder the best one-two punch in basketball.
Westbrook is a great all around guard, and is perhaps the best rebounding guard in the NBA other than Rajon Rondo in Boston.
He has become a complete scorer as well, with a great ability to score, penetrating to the basket and shooting from long range with better consistency.
Westbrook cannot be covered by Lakers point guard Derek Fisher, and presents a matchup problem for any other Laker guard who is assigned to defend him.
James Harden Is Getting the Playing Time He Needs to Improve
3 of 11
The guy with the best beard in basketball is finally getting the playing time he needs to become a very good NBA player.
With Jeff Green's departure to Boston via trade, James Harden is getting more minutes in important situations to show the Thunder coaching staff he will be a crucial part of their postseason run.
Head coach Scott Brooks told the young guard that he would have a bigger role in the post-Green era.
Harden's offensive game, primarily his shooting, has become more consistent this season than last.
His defense has also been much improved, and he's even guarded Kobe Bryant well in the two team's regular season matchups this year.
Scott Brooks Knows How to Win an NBA Championship
4 of 11
Scott Brooks is the best young coach in basketball. His efforts in helping the Thunder become a 50-win team last year earned him the NBA Coach of the Year award.
Brooks was a decent player with the Houston Rockets in the mid 1990s, but did not play much during the Finals in 1994 versus the New York Knicks.
But on the sidelines, he observed what championship winning basketball is all about, and will share those experiences with his own young players.
Brooks is another successful NBA coach who was a decent NBA player, but not a star, like Pat Reilly, Phil Jackson, Rick Carlisle and Jerry Sloan.
This Team Has a Special Bond
5 of 11
Like most young teams, the Thunder are a close-knit group. But unlike many young teams who are very talented, their egos are left at the doors when they enter the arena on game nights.
This Thunder team is very unselfish, and that unselfishness comes from it's star and leader, Kevin Durant.
It's easy to assume every team is close with one another, but anyone who watches this basketball team knows they genuinely enjoy each other's company on and off the court.
Kendrick Perkins Has Had Good Playoff Success Vs. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum
6 of 11
Kendrick Perkins was shocked and emotionally devastated when he heard he was being traded from the Celtics to the Thunder at this year's trading deadline.
He had developed many friendships in Boston, and head coach Doc Rivers was like a father to him.
But Perkins has fit in nicely with the Thunder. He was crucial in their confidence-boosting win in Miami against Lebron James and the Heat a few weeks ago.
Perkins gives the Thunder a dominant defensive presence in the paint, which was a major weakness in their team last year.
Perkins can guard Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum without double team help, allowing other Thunder players to stay on the Lakers perimeter shooters.
He also has won an NBA title with Boston, so he knows the challenge of winning in June.
The Thunder Have Better Bench Depth Than the Lakers
7 of 11
The Thunder have a deeper and more talented bench than the Lakers do, and this is important for when Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook get in early foul trouble.
Oklahoma City has guards Eric Maynor, Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook and Nate Robinson coming off the bench. All of them can provide instant offense.
Sefolosha is also one of the league's best perimeter defenders, and has done a nice job guarding Kobe Bryant over the last year.
The Lakers can only offer Steve Blaker and Shannon Brown off the bench at the guard spot, and neither are very frightening to opposing team's coaches. Both have struggled this season, and are not consistent shooters.
Other than Lamar Odom, the Lakers do not have a skilled forward to bring off the bench either. Matt Barnes has missed a lot of games this season, and Luke Walton isn't a threat in any aspect.
The Thunder can bring Nick Collison off the bench, who is a smart and consistent player.
They can also sub in Nazr Mohammed for Perkins at center. Nazr is a very good defensive center who can match up with Bynum one on one.
OKC has the advantage of the two benches between them and the Lakers.
The Thunder Have Done Well as the "Hunted"
8 of 11
The Thunder are no longer the up and coming team that sneaks up on opponents. They are a real known threat throughout the league.
Even though OKC has been given every team's best effort each night, they have still managed to be on pace to break last year's win total of 50 games.
Being able to deal with success in a positive way and improve, while not regressing much at all, is a sign that the Thunder are ready to compete for championships for a long time.
The Thunder Have Several Quality Wins This Season
9 of 11
The Thunder have beaten many of the NBA's best teams, both at home and on the road.
They have shown they can beat the league's best while not playing their best basketball, and when key players are injured.
Some of the Thunder's key wins this season have come against Dallas, Orlando and Miami on the road, and at Boston when Kevin Durant missed the game due to an injury.
The Lakers Know the Thunder Are a Real Danger
10 of 11
Lakers' leader Kobe Bryant said the Thunder gave the Lakers a great challenge this season. But OKC might be an even greater obstacle to Kobe's title march this season.
Here is a quote from Kobe after the Lakers eliminated the Thunder in game six of last year's first round of the playoffs, from http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/01/kobe-lakers-relieved-to-escape-young-thunders-onslaught/.
"Oh, man, we're glad to be done with you guys,'' Bryant said to Kevin Durant after Friday night's game. "Jesus Christ.''
In the same article from the link above, Kobe adds to his thoughts on the 2010 series with OKC.
"I'm glad we won't see those young [bleepers] any more,'' Bryant, exiting the arena, said when asked by FanHouse about his relief.
After barely escaping the Thunder in last year's playoffs, the Lakers will be in for a real fight if they two teams meet in the Western Finals this May.
Do You Agree, Are the Thunder the West's New Kings?
11 of 11
The Oklahoma City Thunder have the coaching, players and front office support to dethrone the Lakers as the Western Conference kings very soon. Probably this season.
Kevin Durant is ready to take over Kobe as the NBA's best player, and lead his young Thunder teammates to the Promised Land.
So, will the Lakers' dominance end at the hands of the young, hungry Thunder players this spring? Let me know in the comment box.
