The choice isn’t as clear as it seems, not when it comes to Good vs. Evil. Yes, the Miami Heat ticked off a sporting nation by celebrating “not one, not two …” future titles when the Big Three joined forces. Their arrogant tone made them easy to root against. Very easy. But have people forgotten where Oklahoma City came from? Fans in Seattle haven’t. They felt used and lied to by Thunder owner Clay Bennett, who bought the team in 2006 and vowed to find a way to keep the team in Seattle. Two years later they were headed to Oklahoma City, where he happens to be from.
The Heat has a fan base that has, uh, grown a little bit in the past two years. And while the Thunder are a much more likeable team — they were built the old-fashioned way and without ridiculous celebrations regardless of where they began — their fan base hasn’t exactly suffered. Some franchises have a tough decade before winning a title. Thunder fans have one tough season to bemoan; otherwise they’ve won at least 60 percent of their games. And yet they provide a terrific home-court advantage (unlike Miami).
The Thunder also have more pieces to like, which is why they should be favored to win this series. Kevin Durant and LeBron James cancel each other out. Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade probably will do the same. The Heat have Chris Bosh; the Thunder have the best sixth man in James Harden. Star power all the way around.
But where the Thunder have a big edge is inside because of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. Boston had one player who could hurt them inside defensively in Kevin Garnett, but he’s not a shot-blocker like Ibaka. At times, James and Wade could drive with impunity. That shouldn’t be the case in this series. Of course, the Thunder also will face the best defense, and likely the most physical team, they’ve seen in the postseason.
Will the Thunder somehow shrink from the moment in their first finals appearance? Doubtful. They just beat Dallas, the Lakers and San Antonio in successive series. Hard to imagine them being intimidated.
This won’t be a one-sided series. Is it one sided when it comes to rooting interests?
– John Keim
