[lolyouthParticipant]

What do you think would be the most EXCITING Finals match-up? Not who you think will make it to the Finals. Not who you want to have in the Finals. But who would you love to see in the Finals, who would draw the most ratings basically?

My opinion: OKC vs. Miami

Explanation: Kevin Durant vs. Lebron James. Russell Westbrook vs. Dwayne Wade. Everyone wants to see the stars in the Finals. Not only that but the Sports Center dunks, the ridiculous athleticism, the top 2 MVP candidates, a former Finals MVP, 3 or 4 of the top players in the world on the grandest stage of them all.

Don’t neg me just based on this explanation right here: I love the Spurs, great basketball TEAM. However, their Finals appearances have always drawn LOW ratings. Besides Ginobili’s amazing layups and cutting moves, their very fundemental. They lack the high-flying in your face, jaw-dropping athleticism and moves that the Heat and OKC would provide.

Again this is just my take on what would be the most EXCITING NBA Finals matchup. What are your thoughts?

[MJBrownParticipant]

Yeah, I agree — that’s probably the combo with the most excitement. It’ll be interesting to see if OKC is ready to take out the experience of SAS. Everyone I know seems to picture a Miami OKC final right now. As for me, I tend to expect the unexpected. I guess we’ll see what happens.

[joecheck88Participant]

 I don’t think there is any doubt that would be the most exciting series. Not only the stars but when they have played this year, the games have been intense. I don’t even think another series would come close. The lakers and heat would probably get better ratings same thing with clippers and heat but okc vs Miami would be the best, IMO. 

[BrentSuriaga01Participant]

bosh vs. who? serge ibaka or james harden?

[aamir543Participant]

OKC Miami would definatly be a great one, I know this isn’t a popular one but I think Mimai San Antonio would be an amazing series, San Antonio or LA vs Miami and Boston would be exciting as well, LA and Boston because it’s LA and Boston, and If it was San Antonio Boston we’d get to turn back the clock and hopefully see 18 and 10 series from KG and Timmy, somthing we all know htey’re capable of even at this advanced age. 

[Andrew1984Participant]

No doubt about it. Neither OKC nor Miami are my favorite teams, but as a somewhat unbiased observer, I am drooling over the prospect of watching those two teams play for an NBA title. The amount of shear talent on the floor would be beyond description.

(Well, I take that back, I suppose I am somewhat biased. As a Clevelander, I would be hoping LeBron does not win a ring, but if he does, I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.)

Obviously Durant-LeBron and Westbrook-Wade are tantalizing matchups, but even as third pieces, I think Harden and Bosh are quite similar. I know they won’t match up with each other and I know Harden comes off the bench whereas Bosh starts, but both are left-handed, both are highly skilled, both are top-5 draft picks, both are playing in the shadows of others, both are capable of putting up monster numbers, and both have a very well-rounded skill set.

Other interesting items in this series would be:
– Oklahoma City would have home-court advantage and it would go 2-3-2, so a Game 7 would be in OKC.
– Kendrick Perkins and Joel Anthony beating the tar out of each other underneath would be great to watch.
– Who can knock down more key perimeter shots, Daequan Cook and Derek Fischer or Mike Miller and James Jones?
– Which dirty work guy would come up with big loose balls, Thabo Sefolosha or Shane Battier?

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

I’d kill for SA vs. Boston.  KG and TD head-to-head in the finals would just make me happy.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Ratings wise, Miami vs. the Lakers would be bigger. 

The two biggest rock star basketball players in the world in LeBron and Kobe.  Also Wade.  Pau and Bynum give the Lakers two bigs as they try to shut down Bosh.  Metta World Peace vs. Shane Battier.  Even Sessions vs. Chalmers would be an interesting matchup.

Other storylines would be, can Kobe get his 6th ring?  Can LeBron get his first?  Either LeBron or Mike Brown gets a title.  Juwan Howard might finally win one for the Fab Five. 

I like Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka too but Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers would be bigger.  They could save Thunder/Heat for next year. 

[llperez]

Kobe vs lebron.

[omphalosParticipant]

I’d be happy with a number of matchups to be honest; whether it’s Clippers vs Miami (how far can CP3 carry this team?), Boston vs San Antonio (I find well executing veteran teams can be more exciting than younger guys at times), another LA vs BOS series would be huge, obviously OKC and Miami.

However, Lakers vs Miami would be the most exciting matchup to me; we’d FINALLY get to see Lebron vs Kobe in a series, Metta World Peace would get his opportunity to try and lock down Lebron, and Bynum/Pau could be a real chance of just overwhelming Miami’s big men. It’s one of the few times I’d root for the Lakers, but it’d be a shame to see two great talents like Lebron and Kobe not play each other while the two are still producing.

Whatever happens, we are going to see an exciting matchup (unless the Sixers or Pacers somehow make the Finals).

[ProudGrandpaParticipant]

I think Pacers-Spurs would be exciting.  Lol.  But no, it would be a good matchup, and I’d like to see both teams beat out all the other teams getting more hype (Chicago, Miami, Boston, New York, LAL, OKC, Memphis, LAC).  I think it’d be competitive and that it’s a lot more likely than most people think. 

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Too bad the Thunder and Lakers will play in the next round instead of the conference finals. 

In the East, the Heat vs. Celtics would be the best possible conference finals.

Those four along with San Antonio look to be the only five teams who can take the title. 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’m with Perez… Isn’t it time that we *finally* see a Kobe vs LeBron Finals???

It’s too bad LeBron couldn’t get there a few years ago (when the Cavs were the top seed in the East two years straight), but I still think a past his prime Kobe is up for the challenge.

And winning a title against Kobe would be a good look for LeBron’s resume.

[UNCbasketballbumParticipant]

MOST exciting would possibly be the Clippers and the Heat.  Might set the NBA record for most oops in a seven game series. 

[aamir543Participant]

The best for entertainment and rating purposes would be San Antonio Miami or Miami OKC. I can just imagine Miami and San Antonio exchanging basket after basket, and Manu finally got going yesterday, but don’t count out the Celts, Pierce is playing with a purpose, and he’s been playing like a star this post-season.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Miami vs. Memphis would be a great finals.  Unlikely, given how poorly Memphis has looked at times, but I would love to see the clash of styles.  It wouldn’t rate well, because Memphis isn’t an attractive team to casual fans, but it would be the most fun to watch in my opinion.  I wonder how Miami would counter Memphis’s size and it would be interesting to see if Memphis could handle the pressure and perform in the big moments, like they haven’t against an inferior Clippers team.

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

The NBA has had one hell of a time getting ratings with San Antonio in the Finals. The last two Spurs Finals were I believe a ratings disaster. As much as I think the Spurs are a fantastic team and enjoy watching them, they tend to be low on most peoples "excitement" gauge.

I think that the Clippers/Heat would be David Stern’s dream Final this season, though I still expect the Clippers to have no shot at the Finals (though, thought they had no shot against Memphis and was wrong). I chose the Lakers/Heat and think that would be an exciting Finals. LeBron and Kobe, even with Wade being more lto match-up with the Mamba, would be awesome.

The majority of people this year would probably go with Thunder/Heat. It would be really exciting, three great players on each team. The Thunder have more depth, the Heat maybe more talent in their core 3 right now as a whole. Would LeBron finally live up to expectations or would Durant gun it? Lots of questions to be answered, lots of anticipation leading to excitement. Think most people would side with this Finals as being the one that excites them the most.

[mgreener_34Participant]

 "The NBA has had one hell of a time getting ratings with San Antonio in the Finals. The last two Spurs Finals were I believe a ratings disaster. As much as I think the Spurs are a fantastic team and enjoy watching them, they tend to be low on most peoples "excitement" gauge."

Those old Spurs teams from the early 2000’s were mainly defense orriented teams, and focused more on the half court game. This years team has a lot of good athletes, and runs and exciting offense. People actually enjoy watching this Spurs team, as they have many different looks that they can throw at you

I think the most exciting match up would be the Lakers vs Heat. Kobe and LeBron would be a changing of guard, and would really test LeBron and the Heat. Bynum would be a monster in the paint, and the Heat would really have to play on another level to even out that difference inside, and you know LeBron and Wade could do that. 

I don’t see the appeal in a OKC vs Miami finals. Does anyone really think that would be a good series. The Heat have so many good wing defenders that it would be difficult for Durant to score, and Wade on Westbrook would just be a wash. That series would be won at the foul line. 

 

[aamir543Participant]

MikeyV, there is a difference between a rating series and a highly entertaining series. Ratings is based on storylines and whether people want to watch, entertainment is for the people that are watching, and those Spurs teams were slow and defensive gritty teams, that wanted to keep you below 80 points. This Spurs team wants to drop more than a 100 on you, and I don’t care about ratings, people complain about the 05 finals but that was one hell of a great series, even if it was San Antonio vs Detroit, and I’d be laughing my head off if the League gets a San Antonio Indiana Finals, although at this point Miami is basically a lock, with Boston having a slight chance.

[Ghost01Participant]

hopefully see 18 and 10 series from KG and Timmy

 

Im sorry, but "turning back the clock" and hoping for 18-10s isnt exactly what I want in the NBA finals…

[HaleParticipant]

Heat-Lakers only because we’ve never had a LeBron vs. Kobe final and that would be massive. I think this is one of the last years that people are really going to want to see it before they move on completely and only want LeBron-Durant. I’d be cool with either of those finals.

[r377Participant]

I would like to see either Spurs or Thunder play against the Heat.  Spurs and Thunder are great, well disciplined and well coached teams.  I would much rather see these two "teams" play rather than Kobe throwing up 30+ shots a game….

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