Western Conference Final Preview

The Spurs and the Thunder are polar opposites in many ways.  One team lead by old veterans, the other lead by the young and athletic Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  One team has a head coach in Greg Popovich with tons of experiance and respect, the other team has Scott Brooks a coach trying to prove himself.  One team thrives on ball  movement, while the other gets energy from highlight plays.

In my opinion this NBA Playoffs has not been that exciting.  I can honestly say this is the first series that I am very excited for.  Before the Playoffs started I picked them to win the title.  This Spurs team has it all. So my pick for this series is obviously the Spurs, in 6.

  What to Watch - Kawhi Leonard - If you don't know who Kawhi Leonard is, you will at the end of the series.  This rookie has been impressive in his first year, specifically on the defensive end.  He will have the unlucky assignment of trying to stop Kevin Durant.  Now nobody stops Kevin Durant, but I think the six foot seven forward can slow him down.  The 20 year old is very long, and he is not afraid of the challenge.  

Key Matchup - Point Guard - This is a huge part of this series, Tony Parker vs Russell Westbrook.  Whoever outplays the other will give their team a great chance to win.  It will be very important to keep Tony Parker out of the paint. Parker is so good at finishing at the rim and his mid range jump shot has become deadly.  On the other end Russell Westbrook needs to keep his turnovers down.  If he turns the ball over often they will have no shot against the Spurs in this series.

That being said, I just trust the veterans on this Spurs team.  I trust Tony Parker to play better than Russell Westbrook.  That's why I got the Spurs in 6.