Finals predictions…

Heat in 5 

thunder in 5. I honestly think the 3 best teams all played in the west: thunder, spurs, lakers.

Heat in 6

6 games. Thunder aren’t what the Celtics were defensively. Wade will have a field day on that defense.

I don’t think there’s any way that the Heat could’ve made it past the Spurs. Thunder in 6. I would say in 5 but I’ll give the Heat 1 game when the role players like Battier, Miller, Chalmers, and Haslem show up big, and 1 monster game from Lebron and Wade.

 I think its going to go atleast six, but im going to predict Thunder in 5 with Lebron hitting a potential game winner to extend the series only to see Durant hit an unbelieveable shot to clinch it. 

Miami in 6. LeBron matches up better vs KD then vise versa. 

@llperez

I knew that was coming…

2-3-2 format always throws off my finals predictions but I’ll say Thunder in 6 at home

at y2g, i absolutely believe the lakers and spurs would also beat the heat. Do you disagree?

Not with the Spurs.

so you think the lakers would lose? well obviously its all specualtion and we will never know. The last time the lakers and heat played the lakers won. The lakers pushed the thunder harder then people gave them credit for. Game 1, the lakers had less then 20 hours to get ready and were tired. games 2-5 were all close with the lakers blwoing some late leads. I would love to see the lakers and heat go at it but we’ll never know its all just opinion.

 Heat in 6

Well since I think Miami will beat OKC, I think they would’ve also beat LA in 5-6 games (with Bosh). But like you said, we can’t prove anything. I really wish we had gotten a LeBron-Kobe finals a couple years ago, that would’ve been great. Now that Durant’s passed Kobe and is #2 (imo) this is the hottest finals we could’ve gotten though.

durant vs kobe series:

durant: 26.8ppg vs kobe 31.2ppg.

kobe left it all out there and had a bad ending to game 2 but other then that was amazing vs the thunder and imo is till better then durant.

He played well but let me add on to your numbers a bit.

KD 26.8 PPG 18.6 FGA 51.6% FG 39% 3pt 85% FT 8.6 RPG 3.2 APG 

Kobe 31.2 PPG 25.8 FGA 42.6% FG 11% 3pt 86% FT 5.2 RPG 3.4 APG

so kobe scores more, assists more and is without question the far better deffender. Durant rebounds more and was more efficient. Well i expect durant to be more efficient since he has more help on offense. Have you seen what the lakers offense looks like when artest and sessions are asked to creat offesne? Kobe has to take tough shots. And bynum and pau were struggling as well. Durant did not outplay kobe and if we are talking a 7 game series im taking kobe over durant although i might take durant over kobe for an 82 game schedule since he is younger and fresher to log big minutes.

"so kobe scores more, assists more and is without question the far better deffender."

He scored more because he took 7.2 shots more per game (for only 4.4 for my points), and it’s not like he blew Durant away in assists.

Kobe’s great no doubt, but I favor Durant, especially considering his age. Right now I’d say LeBron is #1, KD is #2 and Kobe is in the discussion for #3 with a bunch of other guys. However, I’m anti-Laker and you’re pro-Laker so I don’t expect us to agree on this. 

 Honestly don’t think the Lakers could keep up with the Heat unless Bynum wanted to say something about that but back to your Kobe numbers ,I could easily see Durant 31 point a game if we would have averaged 26 shots a game,plus he averaged .2 more assist while dominated the ball basically all game every game.I also wouldnt say Kobe is the far better defender ,I might even say Durant is the better defender.Durant doesnt get near the credit on defense because he is such a prolific scorer.I also saw on ESPN that he has a better point per possesion allowed on defense then LeBron does ,but you I dont know the exact numbers or even if LeBron has good numbers with that stat beccause I really think LeBron is a overrated defender because he can guard 4 position on the court but that doesnt mean he is the best at guarding sf’s.Like for instance I’d rather take Artest to guard a guy like Durant/Melo then LeBron.SIDENOTE Artest was guarding Durant who I think is the best on ball defender for sf’s and Durant still put up good numbers against him

 i dont know~~~ artest is not the same defender that used to win dpoy. i think with age he is still good at guarding strong powerful sfs like carmelo but he definitely lost some of the lateral quickness to guard guys like durant and lebron. but no matter who guards kd, if he wants 30 hes gonna get 30

I hope the Thunder pull it out because they are a much easier team to root for….but at the start of the season I had the Heat over the Thunder so I will stick with Miami in 7.

 thunder or heat , idc , but i hope it goes 7 games, no injuries, less flops, as much OT as possible haa

2-3-2 format makes it hard to choose how many games it goes, but I’m picking OKC in 7. I don’t think MIA can pull off a game 7 on the road in an environment like OKC and KD just looks like he’s on a mission to get to the top and is hungrier than anybody in the league this year. I expect a GREAT finals that will be remembered for years.

OKC in 6

I almost want to the Heat to win to stop the Lebron bashing but KD and OKC are too good.

A better bench, rebounders, closer, free throw shooters, home court seem like it gets it done.

A Miami win won’t stop the Lebron bashing, just ask Kobe.

 I think it is Thunder in 6. Their ability to go small will be the difference. Perkins won’t play much IMO. I think the Thunder will play mostly Westbrook, Harden, Sefolosha, Durant & Ibaka. Durant can guard Bosh because Bosh only really likes to shoot jumpers. Putting Ibaka on him would be bad because it pulls him away from the basket and he won’t block as many shots. 

 I don’t care who wins, I just want to enjoy one of the greatest finals ever.

 OKC in seven.  It will be a tough series, but I see each team pushing the tempo.  I expect the Heat to go small a lot in order to attempt to force the Thunder to do the same.  Perkins may be forced to the bench frequently. That may benefit the Heat, as LeBron still can play phsyical down low, but I think OKC is the more consistent team.  They can show up every night.  The Heat’s defense is much better, but it di have off days versus the Celtics, and on offense the Heat don’t have the all-around talent to outmatch the Thunder.

 I think it would be an advantage for the HEAT not having a real low post threat in this series. Because Ibaka and Perkins would be in a different situation compare to there previous match ups. @joecheck if Durant would play Bosh who would guard LeBron (playing the 4) Ibaka or Perkins then his just going to pull them out and drive through them if you would put Durant or Sefo (but i think his going to be assigned to guard Wade) then Bron could easily try to post him up. Plus they could put Battier and try to guard KD I aint sayin he could stop KD but I think his going to have a hard time. X factor for this series would be Westbrook for OKC and Bosh for the Heat. But Im sure this one would be a pretty interesting Finals. Sorry for the double post.  

 I think it would be an advantage for the HEAT not having a real low post threat in this series. Because Ibaka and Perkins would be in a different situation compare to there previous match ups. @joecheck if Durant would play Bosh who would guard LeBron (playing the 4) Ibaka or Perkins then his just going to pull them out and drive through them if you would put Durant or Sefo (but i think his going to be assigned to guard Wade) then Bron could easily try to post him up. Plus they could put Battier and try to guard KD I aint sayin he could stop KD but I think his going to have a hard time. X factor for this series would be Westbrook for OKC and Bosh for the Heat. But Im sure this one would be a pretty interesting Finals. Sorry for the double post  

I’m going with Miami in 6. This series is a toss up from a talent perspective imo, but Miami has Finals experience (even though they lost last year). It’s also very rare for teams as young as OKC to win the title, and I think that could cost them in big moments. I just think it’s finally Lebron’s time to get himself the ring that has so eluded him throughout his career. OKC will be a tough match, as I think from to bottom they have more depth. But when I break this series down to compare the players, here’s what I have:

Lebron vs Durant – Edge Lebron

Wade vs Westbrook – Edge Wade

Bosh vs Harden – Edge Bosh

And that’s what the series will ultimately be decided on. You could make the same comparison for Dallas last season, and had Miami not fallen apart in Game 4, I think they would’ve won the series. Both teams are extremely good at home, so that edge goes to OKC. I wouldn’t be surprised if OKC wins, it’s going to be an AWESOME series. 

Yes, I do realize that would have them winning the last game on the road. No, I do not have complete and utter faith in my pick. But, I roll with it, lol. I see LeBron James as a player that can step up and be great. He is going to be playing against a player who is excellent, but I still feel like LeBron can get the better of that match-up. With a healthy Chris Bosh stretching the post, I believe the Heat now have a slight edge going on there.

It will be very important to have contributions outside of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, think the Thunder have the advantage as far as role play contributing. Rebounding will be incredibly important, which is another edge I might give to OKC. My thing is, if the Heat’s three players are all playing at a high level, which I believe to be possible, they can trump Durant, Westbrook and Harden. In the end, I am sticking with my convictions. Have seen a lot of people counting out Miami at various points and they are still here. OKC may not show fear, but I believe Miami has looked it in the eyes and perservered as well. Think the Heat will be ready for battle.

I’m sure along with a lot of other people, I picked this before the season started, so I’m sticking with my prediction of Miami……in 6.

I picked OKC over the Heat talking about dream matchups a couple months back. Still got ’em… in 6 but maybe 7 games. They are just the better all round team that compliments each other better.

I think OKC have the edge in coaching too.

Heat in 6

The reason for picking the Heat  is because for the first time in two years the Heat are coming into a series as the underdogs, so I think they’ll be playing with less pressure and that will make it easier for them.

There is more of a sense of urgency for the Heat than the Thunder. Championship or bust. This is LeBron’s third trip to the NBA Finals, first losing 4-0 to San Antonio, then 4-2 to Dallas, so each time he has gotten one step closer and I think this is the year he finally gets over the hump and wins his first NBA Championship.

The return of Chris Bosh is the reason why they beat the Celtics and is the reason why I think they’ll beat the Thunder. He gives them an inside presence, can space the floor with his outside shooting ability, good free throw shooter and has the ability to make clutch 4th quarter shots.

The Thunder have played great for such a young team. Their four best players are 23,23,22, and 22. I know they’ve played tougher opponents than Miami so far, but I think their youth and lack of finals experience finally catches up with them. Miami has responded well with their back against the wall trailing 2-1 to Indiana and 3-2 to Boston, so I think that will also help in this series, and I just dont see Durant getting a ring before LeBron. 

I am going with the Thunder in 7. Just sounds like a 7 game series. I would never count out LeBron now, and Wade will pick it up. But, I see OKC stealing a game in Miami and then winning game 7 at home.

I am intrigued by a possible small ball match up of Westbrook, Thabo, Harden, Durant, and Ibaka versus Chalmers, Wade, Battier, LeBron, and Bosh. Some really great players there and two good defenders/glue guys in Thabo and Battier.

The key match up in this series will be up front between Bosh and Ibaka. Bosh is the better scorer and has better touch on his shot, but Ibaka is a better rebounder, defender, and shot blocker. But, Ibaka hit some jumpers in this last series and his scoring will be greatly needed in the Finals.

The Heat will need consistent scoring from Battier and Chalmers. They also need at least two good games from Mike Miller. If I were Miami I would use Joel Anthony in this series about 10 to 15 minutes a night. He doesn’t score but he can block shots and rebound some. He is also a pretty good athlete. He should match up well with Ibaka and i can see him at center when Perkins is in the game. Having a legit center in the game (even if he is a bit undersized) will take some pressure off of Bosh and Haslem. The Heat need to prepare for a 6 or 7 game series and they need to get as much mileage out of their bench as possible. So outside of Haslem and Miller, Anthony is the bench guy who they can use the most, especially in games 3, 4, and 5 in Miami.
In the Celtics series the Heat lacked a true shot blocker. Anthony can be that guy in the Finals. Anthony might just be the X factor for the Heat. They need a rim protector especially since the Thunder have so many high fliers and slashers in Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden.

As far as the Thunder’s bench goes, they will need some quality minutes out of Nick Collison up front (the Thunder will probably shorten their rotation), especially when the series comes back again to OKC for games 6 and 7 (if needed). They also need some solid outings out of Derek Fisher who is their veteran and one of their main outside shooters. Fisher had a bad match up in the last series against Tony Parker, but he should be better coming off the bench to play Chalmers. Even though Chalmers is a big, physical point guard with good speed, the Heat mostly used him as a spot up shooter. I can see the Thunder going to Fisher as much as needed. Fisher might end up being the main offensive option outside the Big Four. I can see Fisher being the X factor for the Thunder. Thabo will concentrate mostly on chasing Wade and LeBron all over the court and then shutting down Mike Miller when he gets in. I can also see Thabo spending some time on the Heat’s point guards (Chalmers, Cole if he plays) when the Heat go to their second unit. Perkins might not play as much if the Thunder decide to go small; he is not a key offensive weapon anyway.

This is the match up everyone wanted to see. Heat vs. Thunder. LeBron vs. Durant. But, I think this will come down to who is the best second option. Wade for the Heat or Westbrook for the Thunder. The top alpha dogs will show up. The NBA title could just go to the team with the best sidekick.

This is tough.

LeBron is playing his best ball at the right time. It’s hard to imagine him losing 3/3 Finals appearances…

However, I thought the Spurs were the best basketball team I’d seen in a long time… And the Thunder beat them four times straight. It’s hard to beat any team four times straight and the Spurs beat a team that had won like 20 something games in a row.

I just think the Thunder have the better team and are playing better. And while LeBron is still a better overall player than Durant, I believe that Durant will cement himself as the best player in basketball after this series.

Thunder in 6.

I said Miami in 6 vs the OKC Thunder at the beginning of the playoffs and I’m sticking with that.

LeBron is on a mission.  If only DWade played the 1st half how he plays the 2nd half.

Although, I would love to see a 7-game series with overtimes and clutch buckets.

OKC just came back from 0-2 to beat the Spurs…I just don’t see the Heat beating them after that.  They looked too good these last 4 games.

I can see this being an ultimate match up.

Lebron and Durant cancel each other out. You could even say the same of Westbrook and Wade and possibly even Ibaka and Bosh….The one thing Miami might not have an answer for is James Harden. They don’t bring in anyone off the bench that can match that spark consistently. Maybe a game or two Miami can match the bench scoring with an outburst of 3s but overall that is where the biggest advantage is for OKC.

I think Harden is probably the most important player in this series… Followed by Bosh.

I agree w/ Thunder in 6.

I don’t understand how the Thunder aren’t favored by a lot of people when they swept the defending champs (who beat the Heat last year, mind you, even if they weren’t completely the same team), handled the Lakers in 5 (perennial contender), and beat the Spurs 4 games in a row, who had won 20 straight prior. The Heat handled the Knicks pretty easily but they weren’t exactly much of a challenge, had a pretty difficult time with the Pacers for a while (granted, without Bosh, but still they’re no Mavs or Lakers in the playoffs), and barely got by the Celtics, however I think everyone would have a difficult time with them.

I just don’t get how people can not favor the Thunder. They beat 3 teams that are all contenders and made it look very easy. People said their youth will catch up to them, the pressure will crack them, they won’t always make their jump shots, etc.

I’m a Thunder fan, so obviously I think we’re going to win, but this is just my view on it. I will admit that the Heat are playing their best basketball and are going to be our toughest out yet. Both teams are playing the best they’ve ever played, and it should be one of the greatest Finals ever

Llperez your bias knows no bounds.
Who do you think would win in a game between the 2011 lakers and the dream team? I am going with the dream team.
alright back on topic I am Picking Miami in 6.

not biased at all. I think the lakers are a better team then the heat this year. You arent actually comparing they heat to the dream team are you?

Where are the Lakers, and where are the Heat right now? 

No I wasn’t comparing them. I was just picking an outragious example and expected you to pick the lakers and then rationalize it

lakers lost to the thunder just like the heat will do. Lakers just had to play them first.

Where do you rank Kobe in the NBA right now?

i’ve never tried to rationalize things that are outrageous

Durant just beat Kobe and played better. Durant is better than today’s Kobe and it’s really not that close.

second behind lebron like i have done for years now. I would also take durant over kobe for 82 games although  kobe over durant for the playoffs just as i said earlier in this thread

Maybe we just have different views on what efficient is. I don’t call 42% on 26 shots a game efficient

I don’t like OKC’s help D, I like the idea of making Battier and Chalmers beat you withteh jumpshot, but they’re doing a really bad job at recovering.

I’d play Westbrook off the ball, when the ball swings from Durant or Harden to Westbrook the defender can’t recover because he was in help position to double Durant, and then Westbrook is able to get to the rim, Haslem has been a monster on the boards, but Westbrook needs to stop taking jumpshots and drive it.

Battier Chalmers have been great, love Miami’s ball movement, they’re finding the extra man and getting good shots.

So I…. Win?

if you say it isnt close then it must be true. Kobe played fine. A little less efficient, but better defense and scored more and should have a had a good deal more assists if not for the bigs struggling every time kobe looked for them. Thunder won becasue they were the better team and were able to push the pace, not becasue durant outplayed kobe.

neither do i

I love Kobe, but you’d be blind not to acknowledge the fact that Durant has head adn shoulders surpassed him. I don’t mean to disrespect Kobe, but that’s just the truth, his game is now based entirely off fadeaway jumpshots, Durant is just too explosive and better with his offensive game now.

no, i said kobe was less efficent but played better overall. so repeating what i said doesnt mean much. But if you want to say you win go ahead.

well i must be blind then. I mean kobe still has more moves, is a better passer, better dfender and outscored durant by 5 a game. Durant won though so i guess to the victor goes the spoils. But if the lakers other players stepped up and the lakers won people would be saying kobe showed the young guy it isnt his time yet. Its all about who wins to some people which does make some sense, but its not everything.

Kobe scored more because he took 7 more shots a game. Durant is the better scorer, shooter, rebounder, team player, and way more efficient

^Kobe still has very nice moves, but it’s clear he has very little bounce or spring in his step, in the sense that I don’t think he could just plain dribble by anyone anymore. Kobe can still score 27 a game, and I expect the Field goal percentage to rise, but by no means is Kobe done, he’s still top 7 or 8 though in the game today, and top 10 all time easily.

a lot of those 7 extra shots a game were situations where the lakers needed kobe to bail them out late in the clock, something metta, sessions, blake, ebanks barnes cant consistently do off the dribble. Of course those are often gonna be lower percentage shots thus misses, but not all of them are kobe’s fault because he is often asked to bail out the offesne late in the clock. Durant has much more help in those situations with westbrook and harden both creating off the dribble when the offense bogs down.