OKC Thunder: 7 Reasons They Will Represent the Western Conference in NBA Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder nearly made it all the way up the mountain last season, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. This year, that won't happen.

The Thunder will continue to build on the success of past seasons by representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.

Here are seven reasons why that will happen.

Perkins Will Be Healthy

Kendrick Perkins is one of the best defensive centers in the game and a big reason why the Thunder made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals.

Just think what Oklahoma City could do if Perk was healthy.

He will be healthy this season. He's had an extended offseason to get completely healthy and get into tip-top shape.

This season itself will also be shorter, which will help him stay healthy.

At 100-percent health, he'll be able to anchor a stout Thunder defense even better than he did last year.

They Will Be Young

When you look around at the rest of the Western Conference elite, what do you see?

Kobe Bryant gets older by the minute in Los Angeles.

The Spurs' championship window may already be shut.

The Mavericks are also old and will probably lose a couple big players to free agency.

The shortened season favors a team like the Thunder. Oklahoma City is younger than most of their Western competition and will be able to run even more due to the short season.

Older teams won't be able to keep up with their energy on both ends of the floor.

Russell Westbrook Will Grow Up

After hearing all through the playoffs about how he is a ball hog who can't accept his role on the team, Russell Westbrook will have a lot to prove and a lot of choices to make.

The first choice he'll make will be to sign a new long-term deal with the Thunder.

Second, he'll decide to realize his potential and focus on what he can do to help the team win.

Westbrook will be just 23 this season. He's far from a finished product, which is scary considering he was second team All-NBA last season.

This year, he'll learn his place on the floor and focus more on his rebounding and assists than his scoring.

It will pay big dividends for the Thunder.

Serge Ibaka Will Continue to Tame His Raw Athleticism

At 6'10" with a wingspan over seven feet, Serge Ibaka is a monster athletically.

He jumps out of the gym, blocking lots of shots and jamming lots of dunks.

He has been a bit raw, though, struggling at times to show discipline and refinement at both ends of the floor.

During the lockout, Ibaka has been playing with Real Madrid and has been dominant at times. Playing in Europe will make him a better player now that he's back.

Ibaka will continue to learn more about the game. His game will get more and more under control, channeling his raw athletic ability into something greater.

Scott Brooks Will Grow with His Team

Scott Brooks is a good coach for a good team, there's no question about that.

However, he did appear to be out-coached at times last season, especially during the Western Conference Finals by Rick Carlisle.

Carlisle manipulated his substitutions to take advantage of the Thunder's weaknesses with certain lineups.

This was most clearly manifested by how he forced Thabo Sefolosha (the best Thunder defender) to guard DeShawn Stevenson (the worst Maverick offensive player).

Brooks will, like his team, continue to grow and learn from his mistakes. This year, he'll grow enough to not make similar ones in the playoffs.

Kevin Durant Will Be the MVP

I've written it before, and I'll write it again—Kevin Durant will be the MVP of the 2011-12 NBA season.

He'll have a monster year, as his scoring, rebounding and assists will all rise from his averages last year.

As a young guy with more energy, a short season will allow him to literally give everything he has without having to worry about breaking down.

Durant will be the MVP, and his MVP-level play will catapult the Thunder into the finals.

The Thunder Fanbase Won't Cool off

This team has the entire state of Oklahoma fired up, and that won't be changing any time soon.

This fanbase is already totally in love with this team and will be behind it every step of the way.

That support will increase as the team continues to improve.

The Thunder is still a new thing to Oklahoma City and is still valued as such by the fans.

They will not let their Thunder go down without bursting some ear drums first. The bursted ear drums will be those of the other Western Conference teams.