A superstar will get their first taste of being an NBA champion when the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet in the 2012 NBA Finals.
LeBron James is hoping the third time really is the charm. James made it to this stage two previous times â€" first in 2007 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and then again a year ago with the Heat. Both times his championship dreams went unrealized. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, is making his first career NBA Finals appearance. He is joined by a talented supporting cast that are mostly newcomers to the league's biggest stage.
It feels appropriate to see James and Durant square off to decide the NBA title. They have been two of the best players in the league during the 2011-12 season. Durant averaged 28.0 points per game to lead the NBA scoring for the third consecutive year. He is just the seventh player in league history to achieve that feat and the first to do it since Michael Jordan. James enjoyed an NBA MVP season as he led Miami in several statistical categories. He averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.85 steals per game.
The good news is neither player will be expected to carry their team to glory alone. Both James and Durant have a capable supporting cast who can share the load.
Miami will count on Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh -- the other two components of its big three -- to take some pressure off of James. Wade led the Heat to its only title in 2006. He is still a force to be reckoned with after posting averages of 22.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists during the regular season. Bosh offers a valuable inside presence with averages of 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Oklahoma City has one of the league's best young point guards in Russell Westbrook. He averaged a career high 23.6 points per game to go along with 5.5 assists per contest. James Harden has been a force off the bench for the Thunder. Harden posted career highs in several statistical categories, averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. He won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for his efforts.
Both teams have enough talent to win it all. The edge could go to Oklahoma City. The Thunder are on fire after winning four straight to dispatch the San Antonio Spurs in six games. Miami struggled to put the Boston Celtics away in seven games and faces a much bigger challenge this time around.
No comments:
Post a Comment