Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James was asked about the Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook and he had some nice things to say.

LeBron on OKC: “You can’t replace Russell Westbrook. He’s an Olympian and if he continues on the path he’s on he’s a future Hall of Famer.”

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) May 17, 2013

Calling a player a future Hall of Famer is about as high of praise you can give someone. And it may be appropriate praise for Westbrook with all he has done so far in his career.

We’ve already examined last week just how good and valuable Westbrook is in the current makeup of the league. You can easily make the case that he is a top five player and in a year or two from now may even be a top three player.

So the Thunder are in good shape. They may have lost James Harden and this season ended way sooner than most anticipated but going forward in this league with two top five players and the flexibility to build around them is a lot better than what most teams have going for them.

Back to LeBron though. Why he is such a nice guy? He doesn’t say anything wrong at all ever. Skip Bayless would say this is his way of befriending his rivals to weaken them. Maybe it’s some of that but I don’t know. Point is, LeBron never says anything wrong.

Apr 25, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James passes off the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James is not your unanimous MVP everybody. Some idiot gave Carmelo Anthony a vote.

LeBron ended up with 120 of a possible 121 first-place votes to win his fourth MVP. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Michael Jordan have won at least four MVP’s in their career.

Kevin Durant finished second in the MVP voting while Anthony came in third-place.

Durant received 93 second-place votes, 21 third-place votes, two fourth-place votes and three fifth-place votes. Anthony finished with 16 second-place votes, 51 third-place votes, 27 fourth-place votes and 17 fifth-place.

Chris Paul finished fourth in the MVP voting and Kobe Bryant finished fifth. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan came in sixth and seventh place followed by James Harden in eighth place.

Russell Westbrook came in ninth place receiving just one fourth-place vote and six for fifth-place.

Obviously, LeBron winning the award was an easy choice. It’s very surprising that it wasn’t unanimous and if anyone should have received any first-place votes, it’s Durant and not Anthony.

Durant had one of the best seasons in NBA history as well. He nearly led the league in scoring for the fourth straight season while also shooting 50-40-90 and becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to do so.

Apr 28, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) drives for the basket during the second quarter of game four of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

I hope you’re sitting down.

LeBron James of the Miami Heat has reportedly won the 2013 NBA MVP award and will be awarded the trophy before Game 1 of the Miami Heat’s second round series.

This will be LeBron’s fourth MVP award which puts him in rare company. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5) and Wilt Chamberlain (4) have won at least four MVP’s. LeBron also won the award in 2009, 2010 and 2012.

LeBron averaged 26.8 points, 7.3 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game this season while shooting 56.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from behind the three-point line.

LeBron had the best PER in the league for the sixth straight season at 31.6.

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is expected to finish second in the voting. Many believed the MVP race this year to be a two-man race between Durant and LeBron.

Durant was the early favorite this season but then LeBron and the Heat went on historic tears. LeBron had that stretch where he was shooting 70 percent from the field for like two weeks and then the Heat reeled off 27 wins in a row.

Meanwhile all Durant did was nearly lead the league in scoring while becoming just the seventh player in NBA history to have shooting percentages of 50-40-90. It was one of the best years in NBA history only that it coincided with an even better one.

Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and James Harden will probably round out the top five vote-getters for the MVP in some order.

LeBron is the deserving winner without a doubt.

Dec. 25, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka (9) reacts during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

If the Thunder want to win a championship in the near future, they will have to go through the Miami Heat. There is no getting around it. The simple fact is that there are literally no teams in the east that have the capability of beating Miami in a seven game series. As for the western conference, the Spurs are always going to be there, but in my opinion the Thunder are just too athletic and talented for them at this point.

When Miami squares off with the Thunder, it seems that the Heat are unbeatable. It is actually very frustrating watching the Thunder play Miami because they just look “scared”. The main hurdle for OKC is not even basketball speaking. They just have to get it in there minds that they can beat the Heat. I think it is a little bit like this for every team in the league when they face Miami (with the exceptions of Boston or maybe Chicago). The Heat have a bit of an “aura” around them, with Lebron and Dwayne Wade running the show at times they do seem unbeatable. But when you look at it from a basketball standpoint, they are very beatable. Everybody looks at how great Lebron is playing this year and think that the Heat can do no wrong. Well as great as Lebron and Wade are, the Heat do not have as much firepower as people seem to believe. In fact, after the “Big 3” the Heat’s next best scorer is Ray Allen. Now I love Allen, but at this age he is not a fourth scorer. He is a spot up shooter that is there to make big shots in the big moments. Right there is a weakness for the Heat that most people don’t pay attention to. The other more obvious weakness is their lack of size. The Thunder however, are not designed to take advantage of that so the Heat sort of “get away” with that one against OKC.

For the Thunder it is simple. Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin must out-perform Chris Bosh and Ray Allen. I am not just talking point-wise, but throughout the basketball game (or series) Ibaka and Martin have to defend better, rebound better, and distribute better. I really believe that they are capable of easily out performing Bosh and Allen. Ibaka has developed a very good jump shot throughout his career and while it is not as consistent as Bosh’s jumper is, he can ‘make it rain’ at certain times. Defensively it is not even a contest between Ibaka and Bosh. Ibaka is one of the best rim protectors in the league, and his post defense has vastly improved. Kevin Martin gets the edge over Ray Allen in pretty much every category in my opinion. Martin can get to the hole, and shoot the three point shot better than Allen at this point. I am not here to try and say that Kevin Martin is better than the great Ray Allen overall. But at this point in their respective careers Martin is a better shooter than Allen. The only problem is Ibaka and Martin can not seem play well against Heat. Ibaka and Martin have both played just okay versus the Heat this year. Westbrook and Durant will both play very well against Miami and for the most part Westbrook and Wade cancel each other out, and KD and Lebron cancel each other out. It is going to come down to the role players, and if Ibaka and Martin play as well as I know they can, then the Thunder will win the NBA championship this June.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Most people look at Skip Bayless as a talking head that will do anything to gain attention. This is very true to an extent but it doesn’t mean that he is clueless and doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Bayless – a huge fan of Kevin Durant – has been very critical of him over the years. Most recently, he is calling KD out for having a “LeBron Complex.”

He is essentially saying that Durant is too nice and shouldn’t be allowing Russell Westbrook to play the way that he was, Bayless compares Russ to Kobe. It should be the other way around with Durant approaching the court with a Kobe-like mentality and Westbrook being more passive.

The way Bayless phrases this is what will have people up in arms. What he’s actually saying is something that probably everyone has agreed with at some point in time.

What we’ve seen this season is the most dramatic change in Durant’s game. He is trying to be more of an all-around player, improving as a passer, defender and rebounder. On paper, there’s nothing wrong with this and it makes total sense. But at times it feels like Durant has lost his identity somewhat and it isn’t helping the Thunder win.

It makes sense to try and imitate the best player in the league, which is seems is what Durant has been doing. But it doesn’t make sense if you can’t do it perfectly. If Durant can’t be as good as LeBron is playing his game, then it becomes a bad idea to try and be like LeBron. Even when LeBron was slightly not as good, he was still the best player in the league but he wasn’t good enough to win titles yet.

Durant becoming LeBron is something that will never happen and Durant needs to realize this. He needs to just be himself and if anything, more like Kobe.

Bayless is right on the money with this assertion of Durant and he will always be right unless Durant wins a title playing this way. That’s why this is a safe argument for Bayless to make because the only thing that makes him wrong is if Durant wins a title.

The Thunder look further from winning a title right now than they have all season. There is real fear in the minds of Thunder fans. There is fear that the Harden trade was a horrible mistake, Scott Brooks is not the right coach for this team and Durant is not playing the right way. None of those fears existed a season ago, at least not to the extent that they do now.

The regular season is almost over and the playoffs will soon begin. We know how the game changes at that point and it will be very interesting to see which Durant we see. Will he continue to keep imitating LeBron or will be become more Kobe-like? It really could be either.

Mar 24, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) congratulates Thunder guard Russell Westbrook after a play against the Portland Trailblazers during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

When you talk about the best team in the NBA, one of the first things you usually bring up is who has the best record.

Right now, it’s the Miami Heat, who have also won their last 27 games.

ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh says what the Oklahoma City Thunder are doing this season is just as impressive, if not more so.

The Thunder lead the league in point differential outscoring their opponents on average by 9.2 points per game. If the Thunder keep this pace up, it will be the seventh best mark in NBA history.

Every team that has had a better scoring margin has gone on to win the NBA title (’96, ’97, ’92 Bulls; ’08, ’86 Celtics; ’87 Lakers).

Scoring margin really tells the tale of which team is the most dominant. That has been the Thunder this season.

The problem is that the Thunder have not been as dominant against the better teams in the league. They have looked like a different team less capable when facing the Spurs, Grizzlies or Heat.

That has been the most concerning thing about the Thunder this season.

The other troubling factor has been the Thunder’s inconsistent lineups. We don’t always know who will be closing out games whether it will be Kevin Martin or Thabo Sefolosha, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins or Nick Collison.

That lack of consistency makes the Thunder still look like a team that is too young and not ready to win it all. Especially when you stack them up next to the Miami Heat.

What this stat tells us though is that the Thunder are probably in better shape to win it all this year than it has felt lately.

They still have to be considered the favorite to come out of the Western Conference. The Spurs seem like they might be able to give them a harder time than last season but OKC still should be able to get past them.

That matchup with the Heat feels like the toughest thing for the Thunder to overcome especially with how they played against them in their two meetings this season.

Sometimes it’s good to not win in the regular season against a team that you will face in the playoffs.

The Heat have beaten the Thunder six times in a row. That means they will have to beat them 10 our of 13 times to win the title again this year if they play again. That’s hard to do against a team like the Thunder.

It’ll be a different story too if the Heat have homecourt advantage in the Finals this year. The pressure won’t be as great on the Thunder those first two games on the road vs. Miami. Then it will be OKC that gets three straight on their court, where the momentum of a series can really change.

Keep your heads up Thunder fans. This could still be the Thunder’s year to win it all.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier in this NBA season, it looked like Kevin Durant was the frontrunner for the MVP award.

Durant was having a career year accepting more responsibilities on the floor and improving in multiple areas.

There was really no doubt that this award would be a two-man race between Durant and the three-time winner and defender of last year’s MVP, LeBron James.

Even though LeBron still had the better all-around numbers than Durant did, Durant still looked like he could win the award for a couple of reasons.

1. Durant had dramatically improved his game while LeBron was just continuing what he did the past few seasons.

2. Voters are always looking for a fresh face and for a player to make some kind of leap and give the award to that guy.

3. The Thunder were playing better than the Heat and if they had a significantly better record then that would give Durant a really good chance.

These reasons why you could call Durant the MVP this season instead of LeBron are losing their strength.

Durant isn’t struggling or anything like that and he is still playing the best basketball of his career this season. He’s well on his way to leading the league in scoring for the fourth straight season and he’s averaging a career-high in assists per game.

Durant is also looking to become just the seventh player ever to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the three-point line and 90 percent from the free throw line for a season. Durant would be the first ever to do this while leading the league in scoring too.

Durant is also right there with LeBron in terms of win shares this season as both have 13.5 so far.

But LeBron is increasing his advantage in PER. He now has a PER of 31.6 while Durant’s is 28.7. If LeBron can keep his PER at this level, it will be one of the seven best seasons ever in the NBA in that regard.

LeBron is also shooting lights out this season which is diminishing Durant’s usual edge in that arena. LeBron is shooting an insane 56.7 percent from the field and career-high 41.0 percent from the three-point line.

LeBron is also averaging a career-high 8.1 rebounds per game, 7.1 assists per game (which is the most he’s averaged in a season since he played in Cleveland) and for the first time ever less than three turnovers per game (2.9).

LeBron is simply having one of the great seasons in NBA history. Not even Durant will have a chance to upset that for an MVP award.

The biggest reason why LeBron has to win the MVP this season instead of Durant is the head-to-head matchups.

The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder both times they played this season and each time was in convincing fashion for the Heat. LeBron was on top of his game while Durant seemed to still be trying to figure out how to beat him.

LeBron has the advantage in every way this season. He is the best player in the NBA right now and his numbers reflect exactly that.

Durant’s not in the conversation yet and simply has no chance to dethrone the King for the MVP this year.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday night was quite the demoralizing loss for the Oklahoma City Thunder as the Miami Heat beat them on their home floor 110-100.

The Thunder had the same old problems that caused them to lose in the NBA Finals a season ago vs. the Heat. They fell behind early, couldn’t defend LeBron James or the spot-up shooters and couldn’t get any rhythm going on offense.

If these problems are something that cannot be fixed internally, the NBA trade deadline is coming up in less than a week.

What are the biggest issues for the Thunder when playing the Heat?

Matching up with LeBron and defending the spot-up shooters

Right now, the Thunder only have two players who can guard LeBron: Kevin Durant and Thabo Sefolosha. Neither does a spectacular job either. OKC could definitely try and find another body to throw on him.

They’d want someone versatile who can play the three and four positions. The Thunder need to be able to play more small lineups vs. the Heat because keeping up with all of the spot-up shooters is as big of a problem as any.

The Heat role players know they are going to get open looks all game long. If the Thunder can change this mindset by being able to match up better with them, it would go a long way.

Slow starts

The Thunder have consistently gotten out to very slow starts against the Heat over the past year. While the Thunder have one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA, it is mostly because of superior talent and the ability to overwhelm their opponents. They aren’t able to do that as much against the Heat and the predictability of their offense leaves them relying on third and fourth options more often or taking bad shots.

The starting unit of the Thunder is not their best offensive unit. They start those five for defensive purposes but against the Heat, they aren’t even able to be a force defensively because of the matchup problems.

The biggest problem is Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder essentially play four on five (or three on five if Thabo Sefolosha isn’t making shots) with their starters. This allows the Heat to double Durant on every catch and swarm Russell Westbrook.

Trading Perkins wouldn’t be easy and probably isn’t something the Thunder are planning to do but in this matchup with the Heat it would be very beneficial to try and find a different starting five.

Getting better shots

The Thunder are a team that generally knows what shots they are going to get every night. They’ve really improved in this area this year. A lot of the players have been together for awhile now and their chemistry has resulted in OKC having one of the bets offenses in the league.

The Heat take the Thunder out of their rhythm offensively. By doubling Durant and sometimes Westbrook, they force those two to try and become playmakers instead of scorers. They’ve gotten better at that this year but against the Heat have both failed to be effective getting their teammates involved.

This goes back to the weak starting five where Perkins and Sefolosha can essentially be ignored. If the Thunder could find some more offensive-minded players to surround Durant and Westbrook at the start of the game, it would go a very long way in keeping up with the Heat.

What trades are out there to fix these things?

The Thunder have not made any kind of impression that they are looking to make a trade at the deadline. The second loss to the Heat may change this mindset though.

The pieces the Thunder have most available to trade are Eric Maynor, Jeremy Lamb and draft picks. The other pieces the Thunder have that they should consider trading are Perkins, Sefolosha and Kevin Martin.

If the Thunder would consider trading those last three mentioned, then a player like Josh Smith could be acquired from the Atlanta Hawks.

Smith would perfectly fit in alongside Durant at forward and you could move Serge Ibaka to start at center. The Thunder could send draft picks, Lamb and Perkins/Martin to Atlanta to make this deal work.

The Hawks are looking to move Smith most likely because he wants a max contract after this season and Atlanta isn’t interested in giving him one.

The Thunder probably wouldn’t be able to give Smith max money either but a trade for Smith would immediately make the Thunder title favorites this year.

Paul Millsap is another player that would help the Thunder a lot. Starting him instead of Perkins would give OKC a lot more fire power on offense and they probably wouldn’t take much of a step back defensively either. Millsap is versatile enough to match up with the smaller Heat lineups better as well.

The Utah Jazz are looking for a backup point guard and the Thunder could send Maynor to them as part of this trade. The Thunder would probably have to include Perkins in a deal but could still make it worth Utah’s while by also including Lamb and draft picks.

J.J. Redick is another player that could help the Thunder tremendously. He’s not a great defender but his ability to spread the floor as a spot-up shooter would be very valuable for the Thunder. He would immediately help make the Thunder offense more effective against Miami.

The Thunder could close out games Westbrook-Redick-Martin-Durant-Ibaka. Offensively that lineup would be insane but it could be a big problem defensively.

There’s the idea of acquiring more athletic wing players to try and make the Thunder roster more versatile. We already went into depth about those kinds of players that may be out there who the Thunder could acquire.

Most likely scenario?

The Thunder probably aren’t going to make any big trade at the deadline. But after watching them against the Heat on Thursday night, it feels like they need to if they want to win it all this season.

By trading James Harden before the season, they gave themselves the ability to be more flexible in constructing their roster. It may already be time to take advantage of that by searching for a deal before Feb. 21.

Jun 21, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) and small forward Kevin Durant (35) react against the Miami Heat during the fourth quarter of the 2012 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the American Airlines Arena. Miami won 121-106. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The game last night between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat felt just like the way they did in the NBA Finals last season.

The Thunder were forced to play differently from the tip and they fell behind early while LeBron James and Miami were as comfortable as ever.

There was a big difference though. When that happened in the NBA Finals last year there was always still hope because James Harden hadn’t checked in yet.

Not anymore.

It really hit me last night not having Harden anymore. I thought I had gotten over this and the Thunder had moved on and were better for it but now I’m not so sure.

There was a feeling that I think was true last year that the Thunder were actually the more talented team than the Heat. They had more fire power and the only way the Heat could beat them would be to pick them apart surgically, which they eventually accomplished.

That was okay because the Thunder were young. It was a learning process and you just knew that the Thunder would be better equipped to beat the Heat this season.

They may have taken a step back. Harden was always that huge advantage the Thunder had over anyone. Only OKC knew how talented he was and he would come in and take the game by surprise, especially if the Thunder had fallen behind early. It was almost as if he liked that situation better.

Now the Thunder are forced to play Kevin Durant the entire game just to make sure they don’t lose by 20.

Harden did struggle against the Heat last year in the Finals scoring just 13 points per game on 38 percent shooting, well under his season and playoff averages. That was almost comforting though after the Thunder lost that series. You could say, “We’ll get them next year because I know Harden won’t struggle like that again. He’ll learn from this and be more prepared next year.”

What we’re seeing in Houston now with Harden as “The Man” on his own team scoring 26.1 points per game and being named to the All-Star team pretty much confirms this.

Kevin Martin has done his best to fill the Harden void and for the most part, he’s given OKC what Harden did a year ago. But the Thunder no longer measure themselves on how they do against the entire league. It’s really just about how they stack up with the elite teams in the league like Miami or San Antonio or the Clippers.

It feels worse than last year now. During the game last night I found myself thinking of trades for the Thunder. Only Durant was off limits. I didn’t feel like everything was going to be alright anymore and that they’d eventually figure this out.

Harden let you be calm because he was so. He’s been gone for what seems like forever now and the Thunder are not better off without him this season. Maybe it pays off in the long run but for now, they’ve taken a step back against the team they needed to be ready to beat more than anyone.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and the Miami Heat embarrassed the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home floor last night with a 110-100 victory to sweep the season series.

It was the sixth straight win for the Heat over the Thunder dating back to Game 2 of the NBA Finals when they went on to win four in a row over OKC.

LeBron was brilliant and may very well of sealed the deal on winning the MVP last night with 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on 14-for-24 shooting from the field and 4-for-8 from three.

The Thunder could not buy a basket early in this one and fell behind by 20-plus points in the third quarter. When they started to come back in the fourth, it was already too late.

The same problems that haunted the Thunder last time they played Miami and in the Finals were present again last night. This team has some work to do if they want to have a chance against the Heat in the Finals this year.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 48 minutes, 40 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists – C+

Durant had one of his worst games of the season. He missed his first seven shots of the game and just could not get anything going for himself or his teammates. He would end up with 40 on 50 percent shooting thanks to a 22-point fourth quarter where LeBron was not in for a lot of the time. He was very frustrated for most of the game picking up another technical and eventually fouling out in the final minute.

Russell Westbrook – 44 minutes, 26 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds – B

Westbrook ended up with some decent stats but like Durant, he also struggled a lot. He turned the ball over six times and started forcing too much on offense, taking shots without any passes on far too many possessions. Westbrook was better than he usually is against the Heat and that is a little bit of a good sign but you still don’t want this version of Westbrook for your best chance to beat the Heat.

Serge Ibaka – 35 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 0 blocks – D+

Durant and Westbrook tried to do everything when the Thunder got down early and it left guys like Ibaka to have very little impact at all. Only six points from Ibaka is not enough and then on defense he had no blocks and had a very tough time matching up with the likes of Shane Battier and other shooters who got countless open looks all game long.

Kevin Martin – 27 minutes, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal – C-

Like Ibaka there were not a lot of opportunities for Martin. He could have asserted himself more but it wouldn’t have mattered. For him to have the best impact against the Heat, the entire Thunder team will need better ball movement resulting in more open threes that Martin could potentially knock down.

Kendrick Perkins – 24 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block – C+

Perkins wasn’t as bad as he normally is against the Heat but he’s still a problem in this matchup. It just doesn’t work out and the Thunder are always at some kind of disadvantage with him out there.

Thabo Sefolosha – 24 minutes, 4 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists – C

Sefolosha needs to hit some threes in this matchup. He does the best he can guarding LeBron but really seems to have no impact on him.

Nick Collison – 15 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds – C

A key to this game coming in was to try and get as many minutes as possible from Collison. He only played 15 and didn’t score.

Reggie Jackson – 22 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound – B+

Jackson played better than anyone last night. He wasn’t scared, played aggressively and was solid on defense. The Thunder need more role players to step up in this matchup and it looks like Jackson is up for it.

Feb 14, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been hard at work storming through the West, but when challenged by Miami on Thursday, they just couldn’t take the Heat, and lost 110-100 right before the All-Star break.

Despite starting extremely cold, Kevin Durant led the Thunder in scoring, with 40 points, for the sixth time this year. Russell Westbrook was the only other Oklahoma City player to record double digit points, with 26.

For Miami, Lebron James continued his absolute domination of the league, putting up double-double figures with 39 points and 12 rebounds. No one has had an answer for James in his last seven contests, and the Thunder would not be able to come up with one, either. James was primed to continue his incredible run of games with at least 30 points and 60-percent shooting to seven, but missed a shot beyond the 3-point line as the shot clock ran down with just over a minute left, which brought to 58-percent on the night (14-for-24).

Chris Bosh also helped out with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

The win for Miami served as the sixth straight time they have bested the Thunder, dating to last year’s NBA Finals.

The Thunder–who trailed by more than 20 points at times–avoided a St. Valentine’s Day massacre when they pushed back hard in the fourth quarter to reduce the deficit to just ten points.

This team has been incredible itself at times, but has yet to find a way to come out on top of the Heat. This is an ominous situation the Thunder find themselves in, as it is likely Miami will once again be an obstacle for this team come playoffs time.

With the loss, Oklahoma City sits a 39-14, and can take solace in the fact that they still sit atop the league with the second-best record. After the All-Star Games, they will face the Houston Rockets next, on Fri., Feb. 20.

Dec. 25, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) looks to pass as Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) applies pressure during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

You can win as many games as you want but if you lose against this team, it means nothing.

That seems to be the feeling with the Oklahoma City Thunder this year and their matchup with the Miami Heat. It’s great having the second best record in the NBA but if they can’t beat the Heat then what’s the difference.

The Thunder get their second chance this season to exact revenge against the Heat who took them down in five games in the NBA Finals a season ago.

The Thunder and Heat first met this season on Christmas Day in South Beach. Miami took that contest 103-97 behind 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds by LeBron James.

Kevin Durant had 33 points and seven rebounds in that game and Russell Westbrook had 21 points but just three assists and shot 5-for-19 from the field.

The Thunder got 15 points each from Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin but little else as the Heat led for most of the game.

It was the same script that haunted the Thunder in the Finals last year. They stopped having great ball movement, turned the ball over and reverted back to isolation basketball.

That’s not how you beat the Heat and that’s not how the Thunder have played for much of the year.

The feeling is still that the Thunder have control of their destiny when playing the Heat. LeBron and Dwyane Wade can get theirs and the Thunder are still capable of beating them. They just can’t beat themselves.

The Heat aren’t starting the same small ball lineups that killed OKC in the Finals last year but they will still more than likely go to that look quite a bit.

The Thunder will try to survive will Kendrick Perkins is on the floor although he has been playing better lately. He’s actually scoring a little bit and should be able to at least get some offensive rebounds against the smaller Heat frontline.

Falling behind early has been a bad trend for the Thunder vs. Miami too. This allows Miami to play totally in their comfort zone and makes the Thunder panic to come back.

Westbrook needs to be calm and cool and there’s a better chance he’s that way playing in front of his home crowd. The role players need to make shots for OKC too and again that happens more often in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

All eyes will be on LeBron and Durant but their head-to-head play may not decide the outcome. Both have been able to put up big numbers in these games with neither really pulling away from the either.

The edge LeBron still carries over Durant is the one that makes the Heat so tough for the Thunder. He makes his teammates better just a little more than Durant does. Durant is making strides to become this way but still isn’t on the level of the King.

An MVP award may very well be on the line tonight. The decision to make a trade at the deadline may also be determined depending on tonight.

This won’t be just a regular season game. It’s an NBA Finals rematch and possibly an NBA Finals preview as well.

Dec. 25, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest matchup in tonight’s Valentine’s Day showdown between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder is LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

The MVP award may very well be on the line tonight but this matchup may not be the most important when it comes to determining the outcome of the game.

LeBron and Durant nearly cancel each other out on most occasions and it’s up to the other guys to step up for each team.

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, that guy will be Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook hasn’t played his best basketball against the defending champions. In 10 games vs. Miami since LeBron took his talents to South Beach, Westbrook has shot over 50 percent against them just one time while the Thunder are 3-10 in those games.

Westbrook is shooting 37.4 percent vs. the Heat while taking 21.9 shots per game. He’s taking 3.6 three-pointers per game and making just 19.4 percent of those.

He’s averaging 23.6 points per game but only 5.9 assists per game while turning the ball over 3.2 times per.

We know how important it is for Durant to get help against the Heat. Durant was out of his mind in the NBA Finals but it wasn’t enough with Westbrook struggling and James Harden not showing up either.

With Harden gone now, it has to be Westbrook to raise his game. The problem we see with Westbrook in this matchup – and it was the case back on Christmas Day earlier this season – is that he reverts back to his old, bad habits against the Heat.

Miami plays some of the best defense in the NBA. Even though statistically they have take a step back in that department this season, they are still capable of coming out on any given game and being an elite defense. That’s what they did to the Thunder earlier this season and it’s why Westbrook struggled.

Westbrook is at his best when he lets the game come to him and calmly picks his spots where he will attack the other team. When he shoots less and gets his teammates involved, he and the Thunder are at their best.

Westbrook seems to be going full speed all the time when it’s against Miami though. This has something to do with the slow starts the Thunder usually experience against the Heat because of their not so ideal starting five in this matchup. But still, Westbrook needs to slow down.

If he takes 20-plus shots and shoots more than Durant, the Thunder aren’t winning. It doesn’t matter how much Westbrook is hitting either as we saw in Game 4 of the NBA Finals last year when he dropped 43 points on them in a loss.

Westbrook has to be a point guard and at least a playmaker for the Thunder to have a chance tonight. It’s been what Westbrook has improved upon more than anything this year, we just haven’t seen that guy vs. the Heat yet.

Where Westbrook gets into trouble is that he can get by any Heat defender at anytime. His mentality then becomes to try and score because it feels so easy for him. But the Heat defense is prepared for this and has done a fine job making things difficult for Westbrook to finish once he gets into the rim.

Westbrook has gotten into a habit of attacking the Heat while not in the flow of the offense. Maybe he does this to try and catch them off guard because they rarely are so but it simply hasn’t resulted in good things for OKC.

Westbrook should be able to play the right way tonight since the game will be in Chesapeake Energy Arena. He and all of the Thunder players always play better at home and they will need to be on top of their games to have a chance tonight.

This is more than just a regular season game tonight. The Thunder need this win badly. They know they are going to get an MVP performance from Durant but Westbrook is still a wild card.

Which Westbrook shows up will say a lot in determining the winner tonight.

Dec. 25, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) and Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) look up for a rebound during the first half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

All eyes will be on the NBA Finals rematch tonight when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Miami Heat at 8 p.m. EST.

It’s the second time this season that the Thunder and Heat will play. The Heat won the first meeting in South Beach on Christmas Day 103-97.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be squaring off tonight and the MVP award may be on the line.

LeBron has been on an historic run and if he sweeps the season series vs. Durant and the Thunder, it will be tough for Durant to overcome.

Durant is right there in the MVP race this season and if he can outplay LeBron tonight and the Thunder win, he will be in prime position to win the award.

For most of the season so far, Durant was thought of as the frontrunner for MVP. The Thunder had a better record than the Heat and they looked improved from last season despite losing James Harden.

The biggest reason for this has been the development as Durant into more of an all-around player. Durant has a career-high 29.24 PER this season which isn’t that far behind LeBron’s league leading 31.29 PER.

Durant also has a chance to become just the seventh player in NBA history to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the free throw line for an entire season. Right now he’s sitting at 51.9, 43.2 and 90.4.

If the Thunder end up with a better record than Miami and possibly the best record in the league, the MVP award will likely go to Durant. But even if they do that and if LeBron outplays Durant tonight and the Heat win, it will be hard to argue for KD over LeBron.

LeBron has been putting on a show during the Heat’s six-game winning streak that they have entering tonight’s game. During that stretch, he has scored at least 30 points in every game while shooting at least 60 percent from the field, something no one has ever done before.

This recent stretch has brought LeBron’s shooting percentage to an unfathomable mark of 56.5 percent on the season. He’s shooting a career-high 42.0 percent from beyond the arc as well.

Both Durant and LeBron are so close when it comes to this MVP race. Some will argue that LeBron is the best in the league and therefore the award is his. But Durant has made great strides this season and if he can prove that on any given night he can outplay LeBron and lead his team past the Heat, he will be just as deserving.

It’s not just a regular season game tonight. There is much more on the line. That includes the MVP award.

Feb 12, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) dribbles during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at American Airlines Arena. Miami won 117-104. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James has put together one of the best six-game stretches in NBA history.

The Miami Heat have won their last six games while LeBron became the first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points and shoot 60 percent from the field in six straight games.

The most amazing thing about LeBron in these last six games – and really all season – has been his efficiency. He’s only averaging 15.3 field goal attempts per over his last six games and shooting 71.7 percent from the field.

The next game for the Heat and LeBron will be on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST on TNT.

Will LeBron’s historic run end against the Thunder?

Well, they have as good of a chance as anyone to slow down LeBron. LeBron was the MVP of the NBA Finals vs. the Thunder last season but he didn’t exactly shoot lights out from the field.

LeBron averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per in five games vs. the Thunder in the Finals but shot just 47.2 percent from the field. There’s nothing wrong with those numbers of course but 47 percent is a lot lower than 71 percent or what LeBron shoots against most other teams.

Kevin Durant actually was the ridiculously efficient shooter in the Finals last year making 54.8 percent of his shots. He has been that way against the Heat consistently since LeBron joined them. Durant didn’t get to the free throw line enough (6.2 times per game) or have the ball enough in that series though.

LeBron dominates the Thunder in a different way than how he has been dominant of late. He will probably be needed to shoot more than 15 times tomorrow night for the Heat to beat the Thunder in OKC. He shot 21.6 times per game in the Finals against the Thunder and attempted 9.2 free throws per game as well.

When the Thunder and Heat played earlier this season on Christmas Day down in Miami, LeBron had 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Heat won 103-97. He shot 12-for-20 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

LeBron has shot over 50 percent from the field vs. the Thunder just once since joining the Heat. He has shot exactly 50 percent against them three times though.

The Thunder are pretty well equipped to handle LeBron. Durant and Thabo Sefolosha will check him for most of the game while Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka make sure he doesn’t get anything easy inside.

LeBron will probably have to settle for more jumpers than he has been lately vs. the Thunder tomorrow. The times when he will get looks inside will come from post-ups and in transition.

All eyes are going to be on the stars tomorrow, LeBron and Durant. The outcome of the game is of course the most important thing but so is LeBron’s historical streak. If it’s the Thunder that win and end LeBron’s mighty run, that will mean a little bit more than the usual victory.

Dec. 25, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) dribbles in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have played about as well as any team in the NBA this season. They are only a half game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league and have the best offense in the league despite trading James Harden before the start of the season.

There aren’t many holes when you break down the Thunder roster. But for Thunder fans that still remember the 2012 NBA Finals, there is one thing still missing from this team.

The Thunder aren’t deep when it comes to matching up with LeBron James. Not many teams are if any but it really could be the Thunder’s Achilles heel in their matchup with the Miami Heat.

LeBron averaged 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game against the Thunder in last year’s NBA Finals. He easily was the MVP of that series and the biggest reason why the Thunder weren’t able to beat the Heat.

The Heat went small in that series playing LeBron at the four which was a major mismatch for the Thunder and especially their starting five. Miami consistently got out to better starts in every one of those Finals games and the Thunder could not figure out what to do with the game’s best player.

For all of the Thunder’s growth as a team this season, they haven’t made any progression in this area. They still will have an incredibly tough time matching up with LeBron.

Right now, the best defender OKC has to put on LeBron is Kevin Durant. The Thunder would rather not put Durant in a situation where he has to guard LeBron and score 30-plus points on the other end.

Thabo Sefolosha is the only other solid option to guard LeBron. But LeBron has shown he can easily take Sefolosha into the post and make plays whether it be scoring or finding open shooters.

The Thunder really need another option for defending LeBron. In the Finals last year they got stuck putting Harden on him and that really put the Thunder at a huge disadvantage.

You’re always going to be at some kind of disadvantage defending LeBron but the Thunder can still become much better at matching up with him.

Look at the team that has done the best job defending LeBron since he came to Miami: the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. They were perfectly constructed to stop LeBron with Shawn Marion and DeShawn Stevenson and Tyson Chandler patrolling the paint.

With the trade deadline coming up Feb. 21, the Thunder really need to take a look at acquiring an athletic wing defender that they can at least throw on to LeBron for 10-12 minutes per game.

The Thunder aren’t looking to make a trade that will overhaul their roster right now so don’t expect anyone big to join the team this season. The best bet is finding someone who isn’t getting a lot of run at their current team that might be interested in one of the Thunder’s draft picks or a Jeremy Lamb or Eric Maynor.

Here’s a few potential players the Thunder could look at: DeShawn Stevenson, Atlanta Hawks; Damion James, Brooklyn Nets; Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls; Alonzo Gee, Cleveland Cavaliers; Dahntay Jones, Dallas Mavericks; P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns; Jared Jeffries, Portland Trail Blazers; James Johnson, Sacramento Kings; DeMarre Carroll, Utah Jazz; Martell Webster and Cartier Martin, Utah Jazz

As you can see, none of these players will be able to shut down LeBron. The goal would be just finding someone who is athletic and could slow him down. Someone who could use all of his energy in 10-12 minutes to make LeBron work harder than he would like to.

It would be nice if one of these guys could bring a little something on offense too like be able to make spot-up three-pointers or cut well off the ball.

The Thunder won’t necessarily be able to acquire any of these players for Maynor or Lamb straight up. They’d have to include one of their draft picks for sure. These would be valuable assets to give up simply to hopefully match up better with LeBron but it would be worth it for the Thunder.

The argument against a trade for one of these guys would be that the Thunder already have this type of player in DeAndre Liggins. Liggins will likely get a shot against LeBron if the Thunder play the Heat in the Finals but he really isn’t big enough to do much against him. LeBron would easily be able to take Liggins into the post where he is most effective in hurting the Thunder.

Jeffries, Johnson or Carroll are among the best athletes from this list and would likely cause LeBron to work more on the perimeter where the Thunder would have the best chance of slowing him down.

The Thunder have been quiet about any trade talks and there’s probably a better chance than any that they don’t make any moves at all. But don’t underestimate the importance of bringing in a player like this if the Thunder do pull the trigger on Feb. 21.

Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James will be eligible to opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat after next season. Teams are already starting to prepare for this by making sure they have max cap space available in the summer of 2014.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one team that plans to have the cap space available in 2014 to go after a max player like LeBron.

Could LeBron possibly return to Cleveland in a little over one year? It sounds crazy at first but then again it sounds like something LeBron would maybe consider.

We know LeBron isn’t necessarily loyal to the team he plays for. That obviously isn’t the case because he already left Cleveland. We also know that LeBron wants to win as many titles as possible before he retires and he is willing to go to the team with the best chance to do so. That’s why he picked Miami a few summers ago.

After next season, Cleveland may be in a very good position to compete for a title if they were to add LeBron. Kyrie Irving will be entering his fourth season in the NBA that summer and he has already shown signs of becoming the elite point guard of the future.

The Cavaliers also have young building blocks like Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller on their roster right now. If just one of those players blossoms into a near All-Star caliber player then Cleveland could be a perfect landing spot for LeBron in 2014.

Isn’t there also a part of LeBron that has to want to make things right with his hometown again?

It would make sense for LeBron to stay in the Eastern Conference as well, which has been much weaker than the West for some time now. And when you look around the rest of the East now, there aren’t many young teams on the verge of becoming title contenders.

Of course it will probably be tough for a team like Cleveland to look more appetizing for LeBron than Miami in just two years. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh still aren’t that old yet and will likely be at near All-Star levels still in 2014.

But if they do start to drop off and the Heat are doing nothing more than filling out their roster with veteran minimum contracts over the next two years, that could change LeBron’s mind about his title hopes in Miami.

It will also be hard for LeBron to consider leaving if Miami wins another title or two before that summer. He’s probably not one to leave a team who has made it to the NBA Finals in four straight seasons and won a few championships.

LeBron will be still only 29 years old in 2014. If he stays in Miami for the final two years of his current contract, he won’t be signing another contract until he is 31. LeBron will definitely be one of the two best players in the league still at age 29 but by 31, maybe he will start to drop off. And signing a max contract at age 29 will mean he can probably get another max contract before his career is over, while waiting to sign a max contract at age 31 will mean it is likely his last.

Basically, LeBron might be able to maximize his NBA salary earnings by leaving Miami in 2014.

There is a lot of time between now and the summer of 2014 and a lot of things that could happen for LeBron. It’s never too early to start preparing for the future though and Cleveland will quickly forget how LeBron left them if he decides to come back home.

Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports

Remember the guy who was drafted before Kevin Durant? Well, it looks like Greg Oden wants to play in the NBA again.

Oden last played in the 2009-10 season for the Portland Trail Blazers. He missed his entire rookie season then played in just two seasons for the team, playing 82 total games and averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

Oden is considered as of right now one of the biggest busts in NBA history. That is fair because he has hardly played and it’s hard not to notice his lack of a career when it is Durant who was picked right after him.

Oden had a very hard time dealing with the disappointment he created for the Portland fan base. Those close to Oden know he is a very sensitive person and know just how much it bothered him to not live up to expectations in the league.

That was the biggest reason why Oden walked away from the game in 2010. He couldn’t handle that.

Oden is trying to get into shape to make an NBA return while he takes classes at Ohio State. He’s hopeful that a team will be interested in giving him a shot.

The Miami Heat are reportedly one team that is interested and are a team that is at the top of Oden’s wish list according to two sources.

The Heat are reportedly interested in signing Oden to a multiyear deal which would allow Oden to be patient with his return. Oden’s camp doesn’t want him to come back this regular season.

The Heat are in need of help up front. They have become a team that is giving up far too many offensive rebounds and adding size to their frontline like Oden would certainly help with that.

The real question is: If Oden can’t play this season, would the Heat still be interested?

Taking a chance on Oden now is not much of a gamble. You wouldn’t be investing a whole lot in him.

There is still a chance though that teams wouldn’t want to give Oden a multiyear deal if he doesn’t plan on returning this season. If no one does, then many teams would be in the market to sign him during the summer next season. Maybe even the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder already proved they are willing to take chances on big men busts by signing Hasheem Thabeet before this season. Why not go for Oden too?

What Oden needs is somewhere with a great basketball culture. Somewhere he will be accepted and loved for what he can give a team. Oklahoma City is the perfect situation for that.

But as of right now, it looks as if there is a pretty good chance a team signs Oden this season. The Thunder probably won’t be one of those teams.

And if the Heat do get Oden and he does come back healthy, the rest of the league better watch out.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve basically scene two Russell Westbrook’s this season. There’s the one that is growing up now in his fifth season in the NBA cutting down the turnovers and improving his defense. Then there’s the one we saw on Christmas against the Miami Heat.

Westbrook was a different player than he has been this season against the Heat. He went back to being a volume shooter going 5-for-19 from the field with three assists versus five turnovers.

Here is how a league source describes Westbrook’s play vs. the Heat.

Russ Westbrook wants nothing more than to beat the Miami Heat. He might just want it too much. A league source who knows Russ well believes that for the Thunder to avenge their loss to the Heat in last year’s Finals, Westbrook can’t go to his reflex, which is to take matters into his own hands when the game gets wobbly. It is a reflex that makes him both a great player and a highly criticized point guard. That’s how he went at it in last year’s finals and again on Christmas Day. “Russell has to trust his teammates more,” the source said. “He does in most other games, but he just wants to win so bad against Miami, he doesn’t as much.” The Thunder are convinced they are, or can be, better than the team that went to the Finals last season and come out on top should they meet the Heat there again. For me, it rides on Serge Ibaka being the best big man on the floor, essentially outplaying Chris Bosh in a redux — that is how they overcome the absence of James Harden. The two theories fit: Ibaka can only do that if Westbrook lets him.

via ESPN’s Ric Bucher

This seems to hit it right on the head. Westbrook looks to be in such a hurry against the Heat compared to when he plays against other teams as if he is putting all of the pressure on himself.

This is an understandable approach for Westbrook. The criticism of the Thunder for a long time has been on him, that he is the one holding the team back. So for him to try and take the responsibility in this matchup against the Heat and do everything is his natural response.

But it’s not the right one because it plays right into the Heat’s hands. They are one of the best teams in the league at taking away that first option of a team’s offense. When Westbrook is scoring, it is most often as the first option in a play whether it be an isolation play or as the pick-and-roll ball handler.

To beat the Heat it will take Westbrook getting Serge Ibaka and Kevin Martin involved better. Westbrook’s done a fantastic job of this so far this year, just not against the Heat.

It’s easier said than done but Westbrook is definitely capable of becoming this player in this matchup. He’s always the best athlete on the floor and the best athlete can always dictate where he wants to go on the floor and what he wants to do.

The Thunder have the best record in the league right now but it doesn’t quite feel that way with the loss on Christmas Day in Miami. It was proof that the Thunder aren’t quite there yet, on that level they need to be to win a title.

They’re definitely getting there though and that pressure to do so lies with Westbrook mostly.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

It’s hard to find positives to take away from yesterday’s Oklahoma City Thunder-Miami Heat game if you are a Thunder fan. They lost 103-97 in the same fashion they were outplayed during the NBA Finals vs. Miami.

But there is one thing that Thunder fans should appreciate and feel very good about: Kevin Durant doesn’t back down from LeBron James. In fact, he is very close to his equal in a head-to-head matchup.

Remember how everyone wanted to say that LeBron completely outplayed Durant in the NBA Finals? Not true. He was better overall and that’s a big reason why the Heat won but Durant held his own and then some.

Durant averaged 30.6 points on 54.8 percent shooting from the field in the Thunder’s 4-1 Finals loss back in June. Yesterday, Durant scored 33 points with 25 of those coming in the second half as more than a few times, he took LeBron – the best, most perfect defender you could ever put on Durant – on one-on-one and scored on him.

Durant doing this and doing it so often is going unnoticed and not for no reason. LeBron has also been spectacular in these head-to-head games, but the differential of him vs. Durant is less than it’s being made out to be.

It’s amazing too because Durant is four years younger than LeBron. If he were completely struggling and in awe of playing against him at this point in his career that would be perfectly acceptable. We’ve seen that all the time through the years in this league.

But Durant seems very close to getting over the hump and becoming an equal to LeBron, if he hasn’t already. He does it in a slightly different way that won’t be looked at as highly as the way LeBron is effective but at the end of the day, it can be enough to overtake the King.

The Thunder really played a very poor game yesterday. It was nothing like what they showed during their winning streak the past few weeks. They were still in the game in the final minutes just like how they were during the NBA Finals.

Remember when the Thunder went down 0-2 vs. the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals then everything suddenly clicked for them? There is a good chance that fate will again be the Thunder’s if they see the Heat again in the NBA Finals.

If you think about it, it seems very plausible. And the position the Thunder are currently in, so close to that point where they can beat the Heat, is really the ideal spot to be in right now.

Because when the Thunder finally do become a team ready to beat the Heat in a series, Miami won’t have time to react. We see it all the time in this league and the Thunder have already shown they are a team capable of something like this.

The best news of all: Durant is already there. He just needs to bring his teammates along with him and he is already in the process of doing this. It all starts with your best player and knowing that Durant is ready, is something Thunder fans have to be happy about.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook has blossomed into one of the best players in the league over the years. He’s one of the most polarizing players though often making boneheaded decisions that you don’t expect from a player of his caliber.

Recently and mostly this season, Westbrook has really cut down on those bad decisions. His turnovers are down and his efficiency everywhere else has been rising.

But against the Miami Heat, Westbrook reverts back to his old habits more often than versus any other opponent.

We saw it yesterday in the highly anticipated Christmas Day NBA Finals rematch that the Thunder lost 103-97. Westbrook played 43 minutes and shot 5-for-19 from the field scoring 21 points and dishing out just three assists.

It wasn’t a very “point guard-like” performance from Westbrook which is what the Thunder needed considering playmaking was in high-demand for them as they reverted back to an isolation-heavy offense.

Westbrook has had some good games against the Heat over the past two years but never as a point guard or playmaker.

In the past two seasons, Westbrook and the Thunder have played the Heat eight times winning just twice. Westbrook has averaged 24.6 points and 5.5 assists per game on just 38.7 percent shooting. He has been terrible shooting from beyond the arc at just 18.2 percent while attempting 4.1 threes per game.

Under control, Westbrook has been anything but against the Heat. He’s been the exact opposite of what the Heat have embodied in this matchup too led by LeBron James.

That contrast hasn’t bode well for the Thunder obviously. The question still remains though: Does Westbrook need to get under control more when playing the Heat or just wait for his time when his over-aggressive play is simply too much for Miami to handle?

It’s probably going to be a little of both. Westbrook can’t be as out of control as he’s been at times vs. a patient and sound Miami defense. But then again you don’t want him to throw away the aggression that has resulted in a 43-point NBA Finals game and six offensive rebounds yesterday.

Finding that balance isn’t going to be easy for Westbrook if the Thunder continue on the same path they have been on vs. Miami. The slow start reared its ugly head again yesterday as the starting five the Thunder was at a big disadvantage facing Miami’s.

When the Thunder get behind, Westbrook and everyone else start pressing for OKC. The assists and execution of the offense dwindles and it becomes a mad scramble to get back into the game. This is probably because the Thunder value this game more than others. Normally, they will more calmly claw their way back into a game but against the Heat, they want it so bad they are anything but calm.

Some major changes are necessary if the Thunder want to seriously challenge the Heat in a potential NBA Finals matchup. Westbrook needs to be better first and foremost but that can be achieved by better starts, changes to the rotation and better patience all the time.

These things will come in time for the Thunder. Waiting for that is difficult but we’re already seeing signs of these solutions being reached this season, just not against the Heat, yesterday, on the biggest stage the NBA has provided this season.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This morning it sunk into my head that this was just another regular season game in December. From the looks of it, you would have probably thought it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. However, this is just another loss, another learning lesson and another chance to grow from.

There was so much drama and commotion in last night’s game that was hard to keep up with between the Thunder’s rotation, and the refs, but there were a few things to take out of last night’s thriller:

1. Its official that the back-up point guard spot is up for grabs

Last night, Eric Maynor didn’t see the floor and Reggie Jackson stole his minutes. Not only did Jackson steal his minutes but he also produced at a high level with his big And-1 and three in the second quarter. Made decisions have to be made moving forward.

2. Scott Brooks has to change his rotation late

There was zero reason for Kendrick Perkins to be in the game late. Zero. At worst, Brooks should have went offense/defense with Sefolosha and Perkins. It’s a pretty easy concept looking from the outside in: If the Heat go small with LeBron at the four, so should the Thunder.

3. Some things from the Finals last year haven’t changed

Same problems, different game. Nothing has changed. LeBron still gets every call he wants. The Thunder fall into a hole early in the game. Late in games, the Thunder can’t convert on opportunities. These are some things that have to change if the Thunder want to get over hump and beat the Heat in the Finals.

As said before, it’s just one game. However, that was a tough loss to inhale.  Time to move on and get ready for Dallas Thursday.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 103-97 yesterday in a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals.

It was a convincing win for the Heat very reminiscent of the way they took down the Thunder a few months ago.

Despite that, Heat forward Shane Battier had some nice things to say about the Thunder.

Shane Battier on OKC “They’ve been the most consistent team… I wouldn’t stop short of saying they’re the best team in the league right now

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 26, 2012

Battier is a real professional who always says the right thing in interviews so it’s not real surprising to hear him say something like this too.

He may be right too. The Thunder still are tied for the best record in the league and have so far been the most consistent and best team.

If it wasn’t for the fact that the Thunder just lost to the Heat in the same exact way they lost to them in the Finals then more people would be confident still calling the Thunder the best team in the league too.

This win by the Heat will make a lot of people look at them as the best team in the league again. Many still did but the emergence of the Clippers, Grizzlies and Knicks this season had them second-guessing Miami.

The funny thing is, the Thunder are probably better suited to beat the other elite teams in the league than the Heat are. Yet, when playing head-to-head vs. Miami, have a harder time than those other teams coming out on top.

So technically, sure the Thunder are still the best team in the league this season. But they don’t care about that and neither does the Heat. The only thing either team cares about is what may happen if they meet again in the NBA Finals.

For now, the Heat feel better about themselves than OKC does.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve seen this story before. It was only a few months ago in the NBA Finals that the script played out the same way: the Thunder got out to a slow start, clawed their way back, then couldn’t close.

The Miami Heat would win the game 103-97 when it was all said and done.

Kevin Durant scored 33 points to lead the Thunder with 25 of those points coming in the second half. He again found himself in foul trouble in the first half that did no help at all to a scrambling Thunder team unable to contain their energy after four days off.

Durant went 9-of-11 from the free throw line but one of the misses came with 1:07 left in the game and the Thunder trailing by four. Durant missed a three with 10 seconds left that could have tied it. The rebound was then tipped out and Russell Westbrook then missed a desperation three where he was looking for a foul.

LeBron James was his usual calculated self picking apart the Thunder defense to the tune of 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. LeBron scored 19 in the first half and it was a quiet game all in all for him, but super effective nonetheless.

Nobody embodied the wild approach to the game as much as Westbrook who finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and only three assists. He shot 5-for-19 from the field and turned the ball over five times. He seemed to kill the Thunder at times but mostly the feeling is that there is no way the Thunder would have been close without him.

Each of the Heat Big 3 played well but it was Mario Chalmers that proved to be the real difference. He averages less than seven points per game but scored 20 and made four threes today. He’s always been a big game player and today he decided it would be another big one for him.

The Thunder lose the game despite shooting twice as many free throws as the Heat, who did make all 19 of their attempts.

Kevin Martin scored 15 points on 4-of-10 shooting off the bench for the Thunder, who only played eight players in the game.

It’s the second straight loss for the Thunder who had won 11 in a row prior.

They are now tied for the best record in the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers but this loss feels like they dropped down further than that. The Thunder wanted this one and they played hard but this matchup is a little too tough for just effort to win out.

We will quickly forget about this devastating loss until of course OKC hosts Miami Feb. 14.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The biggest game of the NBA regular season is finally here and on the biggest stage no less.

An NBA Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat will tip-off in South Beach at 5:30 p.m. EST today.

The Finals rematch is becoming a tradition on Christmas Day. Last year, the Heat took down the Dallas Mavericks 105-94 on Christmas Day.

This year, the game expects to be a closer one. The Thunder have become stronger this season despite the loss of James Harden. They appear more mature and experienced, just the kind of thing you would expect from a team fresh of an NBA Finals loss.

OKC has jumped out to the best record in the league so far this season but all of that will mean nothing if they don’t appear equals to the Heat today.

The Thunder have the most efficient offense in the league this season and the Heat have taken a step back on the defensive end, ranking just 12th overall.

Miami’s offense is 3rd in the NBA though behind only the Thunder and Knicks. It was the offense and not the defense that really stumped the Thunder in that Finals series.

Miami was playing a small lineup with LeBron James and Shane Battier at the forward positions and the Thunder frontline with Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins was lost allowing open 3-pointer after open 3-pointer en route to a 4-1 series loss.

The Heat began this season with the same small lineup but with their defense suffering during the regular season grind, has since gone back to a more traditional look.

Both teams expect to get their third scoring wheels back today as Chris Bosh and Kevin Martin each missed their team’s last game.

There will be a lot of important matchups in the game but none bigger than Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James.

LeBron had the year of his life last season but Durant is closing the gap this year. Durant is one of the frontrunners for the MVP this season and posting a ridiculous 65.4 true shooting percentage.

LeBron is his usual hyper-efficient self leading the league in PER as he assumes more of a power forward role with the team.

Head-to-head, it is a tossup between the two. The main difference and advantage for LeBron recently has been his ability to lift his teammates up while Durant is still learning that process.

On this stage, games tend to be decided by performances by their best players. And if the game is close, expect an epic duel from Durant and LeBron down the stretch.

It can’t get any better than this NBA fans. The season will officially be underway today at 5:30 p.m. EST.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

If you think this is just an ordinary regular season game, you’re wrong.

This is the game every Thunder fan, player and coach has been waiting for. Revenge at last.

The last time the Thunder and the Heat met, LeBron was on the podium celebrating with his teammates after getting his first ring, in a 4-1 series win.  Today will be the first time the two teams will meet after the NBA Finals and the Thunder have a big chip on their shoulder.

Are the two teams the same? No, but they are very similar.

The Heat added Ray Allen to the mix, and the Thunder theoretically exchanged James Harden for Kevin Martin. Both teams lead their perspective conference, but the Thunder hold the best record in the NBA currently at 21-5.

Here are the top 5 things to look at heading into this highly anticipated Christmas Day Game:

 1.How the Thunder handle coming back to the arena they lost in

After being defeated in the American Airlines Arena in Game 5, how will the Thunder put that behind them and handle the atmosphere and play with a chip on their shoulder?

 2. The adjustment of having to stop Ray Allen

In Game 5, Mike Miller killed the Thunder with 23 points. If the Thunder have trouble with Mike Miller, Scott Brooks better come up with a way to stop Ray Allen

 3.The Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James matchup

Always a joy to watch. Last year’s MVP against this year’s hopeful MVP.  In history, James has won 7 of the 9 matchups but that could change today

4.Runs

Today’s game will be a game of runs. How will the Thunder handle tough situations in a tough environment and atmosphere?

5. If Russell Westbrook can be Russell Westbrook

As we all know, Russell Westbrook killed the Heat last year in the NBA Finals as he had 43 points in Game 4. If Westbrook can put up big numbers again today, the Heat are in big trouble.

Merry Christmas to all those celebrating. Sit back and enjoy the game.

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

It’s easy to look at the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat and see similarities, especially among their two best players.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James play the same position and are considered the two best players in the NBA right now. LeBron is a few years ahead of Durant but we are seeing more and more Durant pattern his game after LeBron.

Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade play a similar position too. Westbrook is called a point guard but his style is closer to that of Wade’s.

Wade doesn’t see the similarities between he and Westbrook though.

“None,” Wade told The Oklahoman. “I don’t see none of my game in him. We’re totally different players.”

Alright, there are differences between the two but this is just an example of a player in Wade getting a question from the media and wanting to sound superior.

Sure, Wade is smoother and has a more advanced offensive game but the way they each can affect the game dominating athletically at their guard positions and putting up all-around numbers is a definite similarity.

“Westbrook is a nightmare to prepare for, for any guard with his athleticism, how quick he is, how athletic he is,” Wade went on to say.

At first, it sounds like it could be a little of slight on Westbrook by Wade. The way it sounds when you read it but clearly he does respect him. You kind of have to after a guy drops 43 on you in an NBA Finals game.

The marquee matchup of the day will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. EST. Westbrook vs. Wade will be a big factor in determining the winner.

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James has been the best basketball player in the NBA for about the past four seasons. In that time he has won three MVP awards, captured the elusive NBA title and won a gold medal.

LeBron has done everything in that time on the floor as well. He gets triple-doubles far more often than anyone else in the league and is described as the only player in the league who can play all five positions.

This season LeBron currently ranks 5th in the league in scoring behind Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and James Harden. But LeBron says he could lead the league in scoring if he wanted to, it’s just not his job.

LeBron is right in saying this. If the Heat needed him to score 30-plus points per game, he could certainly do so. He’s averaging a career-low field goal attempts per game this season so it’s not hard to imagine what LeBron would be capable of is he shot a little more often.

But you can really say this about a lot of players at the end of the day. Durant has led the league in scoring the past three seasons and the biggest reason why he isn’t this year is because he’s trying to work on his game being more balanced.

Really only Kobe and Anthony are probably maxing out their scoring potential right now on their teams. Although there are definitely scenarios out there where if they were on different teams with different casts, they’d be scoring more too.

The real question when it comes to LeBron and scoring is: is he the best scorer in the league or not. There are not a lot people who would say this about LeBron. Most say Durant or Anthony or Kobe still.

Sure, LeBron is a better overall player and better overall offensively than these guys but he can’t score at the same clip as often. The biggest downfall for LeBron as a scorer is that he is not the great shooter that the other three are. LeBron has done a great job over the years working on his shot and shooting a very high percentage but in a bubble, he can’t outshoot any of those guys and doesn’t have the same offensive repertoire of either of them either.

So is LeBron right that he could potentially lead the league in scoring if that’s what his team needed to do? Sure. But so could a lot of players in this league.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

We are a little more than a quarter of the way finished with the NBA season now. The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the hottest team in the league with the best record and on an 11-game win streak.

The New York Knicks still hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference just a game and a half ahead of the Miami Heat. The Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs are two games back each of the Thunder.

A few disappointments so far have been the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets who each would barely make the playoffs if they started today. But no team has been more disappointing than the Los Angeles Lakers so far.

Team success has a lot to do with MVP candidacy. Now let’s look at the players who are in the running for the award so far this year.

1. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant still deserves the top spot here with the Thunder rolling the way that they are. Durant is putting up career numbers in terms of PER and true shooting percentage as he has a shot at joining the 50-40-90 club. His improvement from last season will be a big reason why he is considered the MVP so far this season especially with James Harden’s departure.

2. Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

The Knicks just keep winning while Anthony is playing the best basketball of his career. He really seems to have carried over his Olympic play to the NBA season and it has been perfect for this Knicks team. The veterans surrounding Anthony are only helping to lift him to another level this season too.

3. LeBron James, Miami Heat

You can’t drop LeBron too far down the MVP ladder. He’s still leading the league in PER and putting up better all-around numbers than anyone. The Heat just haven’t been winning quite as much as you’d expect. All it’s going to take is a big month or two from LeBron and the Heat for him to get back in poll position of this race.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

What Kobe is doing at this age and leading the league in scoring as efficiently as he’s ever been is remarkable. The issue is the Lakers aren’t winning, at all. Once they do and most people still believe they will eventually get their act together, Kobe will be right up there in the MVP discussion.

5. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are quietly on a winning streak just as impressive as the Thunder’s. Paul is 5th in the NBA in PER behind only the four players ahead of him in these Power Rankings. The Clippers look much better than a season ago, more prepared to make a deep run in the playoffs. Their depth has been a big reason for their success though so it’s not all Paul which is why he ranks only 5th.

6. Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies have gotten off to a great start this season thanks mostly to Randolph. Randolph isn’t near the top of the league in PER but his averages of 17.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game will not go unnoticed by MVP voters. Memphis has shown that they are as tough as anyone in the league to match up with and Randolph being their power forward is the biggest reason why.

7. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry has led the Warriors to the fifth best record in the Western Conference so far this season. The key has simply been his health. He’s averaging 19.7 points, 6.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. His shooting numbers have not been their best either so expect those to rise as the season goes on. The Warriors have been one of the biggest surprises of the year playing this well so early. If they can keep it up, Curry will deserve some MVP attention.

8. Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks

Smith and the Hawks have also surprised the NBA in their first season after Joe Johnson currently holding the third best record in the Eastern Conference. They have many impressive wins including against the Thunder in OKC. Smith is averaging 16.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to lead the Hawks.

9. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Rondo is still leading the league in assists by far and if the Celtics can get their act together and move up the standings in the Eastern Confernce, he will keep moving up in the MVP Power Rankings. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 12.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game this year as he looks to be playing the best ball of his career.

10. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Westbrook will never win the NBA because he is on the same team as Kevin Durant but he still deserves to be ahead of others in the MVP Power Rankings. Like Durant, Westbrook is also having a career year passing the ball better than ever and playing defense at the highest level we’ve ever seen from him. The Thunder needed Durant and Westbrook to step up and fill the Harden void this year and both have done exactly that.

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

We are always on watch for the next great rivalry in the NBA. It has undoubtedly arrived in the form of Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

Durant and LeBron met in the NBA Finals last year kicking off what has no choice but to be one of the great rivalries in NBA history.

Who do we compare them to though?

It’s not really Bill Russell vs. Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan vs. anyone. But it’s kind of starting to look like Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson with Durant playing the role of Bird and LeBron as Magic.

Of course, it is not exactly the same as Bird vs. Magic. LeBron and Durant didn’t come into the league at the same time. LeBron is ahead of Durant so far developing into a legend. LeBron and Durant actually play the same position too so we get to see them matched up against each other head-to-head more often.

LeBron has always drawn comparisons to Magic. For his size, he has become one of the most transcendent passers this game has ever seen much like Magic. He is a physical force for his position and loves making his teammates around him better.

Durant hasn’t always been compared to Bird but he’s starting to a little bit lately. Durant is definitely the Bird in this matchup because he has the pure shot. He’s a killer with his jump shot too. He wants the ball at the end of games with the intentions of shooting one in your eye. Durant can’t pass or rebound like Bird but he is improving in both of those areas.

Bird did something that was pretty much unprecedented at the time in the late 80’s shooting over 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and 90 percent from the free throw line. This is something Durant is looking to replicate this season and he is aware of the rareness and importance of such a feat.

LeBron has always had the edge over Durant in terms of efficiency. His PER has been at an all-time mark the past few seasons, easily better than Durant’s. But if Durant can become a 50-40-90 guy playing the style he does, it will be a kind of advantage LeBron can’t match, something that will take this rivalry to new heights.

Bird and Magic met in the NBA Finals three times in the 1980’s and either the Celtics or Lakers made it to the Finals every season that decade. It feels like Durant and LeBron are destined for at least three meetings in the NBA Finals over the next decade. It will be harder to dominate the league like the Celtics and Lakers did back then but they can probably come pretty close.

Bird ended up winning three championships while Magic won five. Bird took home three MVP’s and Magic also won three.

Most people will say Magic was the better player, some even say he is close to Michael Jordan all-time. At the end of the day, LeBron will probably be talked about in the same light as Magic. He is close to MJ but not quite.

But with the game on the line and needing someone to take the last shot, you would pick Bird over Magic 100 times out of 100. The same is true for Durant vs. LeBron. There’s nothing prettier in the NBA right now then seeing Durant flick his wrists from distance and that’s because it looks so true every time the ball comes off his fingers.

The Bird vs. Magic debate still goes on even to this day. They changed the NBA, saved it even. You can pick either one and never be wrong.

Durant vs. LeBron has a chance to be that too. They’re not saving the league but their impact is just as important taking it in a new direction.

Right now, LeBron is the right choice, but Durant is closing in on him. And when he catches him, the next great rivalry in the NBA will be in full force.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and LeBron James of the Miami Heat have been named the Players of the Month for the month of November.

Durant led the Thunder to a 13-4 record in November. He ranked second in the league averaging 26.5 points per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from three and 89.3 percent from the free throw line.

Durant also averaged 8.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.7 blocks per game in the month, all of which would be career-highs for him.

LeBron led the Heat to an 11-3 record in November. He averaged 25.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. LeBron scored at least 20 points in every Heat game for the month.

It’s no surprise that Durant and LeBron come out of the gates looking the frontrunners for the MVP this season. They finished first and second in the MVP voting a season ago and are expected to do pretty much the same thing this season.

Both are putting up very impressive numbers but Durant has made larger strides statistically so far this season than LeBron, who is essentially putting up the same numbers he did a season ago. That kind of improvement is something that will give Durant a chance at beating out LeBron for the MVP this season.

Durant also has a chance to finish the season with shooting percentages 50-40-90 (FG-3PT-FT) which would be extremely impressive for a player that plays the way he does.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The NBA released its jersey sales numbers today and LeBron James has the top selling jersey in the league this year, according to the Sun Sentinel.

LeBron only had the fourth highest selling jersey last year while Derrick Rose was number one. Rose has dropped to number five this year.

Kevin Durant checks in at number two behind LeBron moving all the way up from number eight a year ago. Kobe Bryant is fourth and Carmelo Anthony is fifth.

Russell Westbrook checks in at number 12 on the list while James Harden is absent from the top 15. That is likely to change for next year with Harden changing teams to the Houston Rockets.

In the last 10 years, Kobe has had the top selling jersey six times and LeBron has held the title three times.

The New York Knicks are the top selling team jersey. The Miami Heat are second followed by the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics to round out the top five. The Oklahoma City Thunder come in sixth as a team.

The sales are based on numbers from NBA.com and the NBA Store in New York City from April 2012 up until November 2012.

Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time this season. Durant led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 3-1 record last week while averaged 28.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

Durant helped the Thunder to a come from behind 92-90 victory in Detroit on Nov. 12. He had 26 points and nine rebounds.

Durant scored 34 points to go with 10 rebounds as the Thunder lost to the Grizzlies 107-97 two nights later.

Durant had 27 on 9-of-12 shooting to go with nine rebounds as the Thunder easily beat the Hornets 110-95 Friday night.

Durant capped off the week with his first career triple-double in a 119-109 win over the Warriors Sunday night. He tallied 25 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists.

LeBron James took home Player of the Week honors in the Eastern Conference. He also led the Heat to a 3-1 record while averaging 29.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.

After somewhat of a slow start, Durant looks to be catching back up to LeBron statistically as the two will most likely make up a two-man race for the MVP this season.

Durant is averaging 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game so far this season. He’s shooting 51.1 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from three. He’s fourth in the league in PER among players who have played at least seven games this year, behind only LeBron, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

LeBron is also averaging 24.5 points per game so far this season to go with 9.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists. He’s shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from downtown. LeBron is essentially leading the league in PER at 29.15 with only injured Kyle Lowry who has played just four games this year ahead of him.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The NBA season tipped off last night with the Miami Heat hosting the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Dallas Mavericks (and the Cavaliers and Wizards played too).

The Heat and Lakers have emerged as the most popular NBA Finals pick especially after the James Harden trade so it was interesting to see each team last night for the first time with all of their new additions.

Miami looked very good beating Boston 120-107. They looked supremely comfortable in everything they did as LeBron James scored a very cool 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting in just 29 minutes. Dwyane Wade led the team with 29 points but the Heat were outscored by six in the 35 minutes he played.

Ray Allen was determined to come out and have a good game vs. his old team and he scored 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting in 31 minutes off the bench.

The Celtics shot 52 percent from the field but turned the ball over 16 times. Boston has a lot of new faces on their team this year and it will surely take some time for them to mesh together.

The Heat have to get an A+ for their performance last night. It was pretty perfect except for them allowing Boston to shoot such a high percentage. They played their small lineups with LeBron and Battier at the four all night and it was something the Celtics simply couldn’t match up with.

Miami seems poised for their best regular season since the Big 3 joined. Being in the easy Eastern Conference, it won’t be hard for them to wrap up the one seed very early in this season.

The Lakers home opener did not go as well. They lost to Dallas 99-91 and look to have a lot of work ahead if they are going to live up to expectations.

Dwight Howard had 19 points and 10 rebounds in his debut but went 3-for-14 from the free throw line and fouled out in 38 minutes of action. Kobe Bryant had 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting with no assists and no free throw attempts.

Pau Gasol looked the most comfortable in the new Princeton offense with 23 points, 13 boards and six assists. Steve Nash became an afterthought and had just seven points and four assists in 34 minutes.

There were times early in this one where the Lakers’ offense looked smooth and it resulted in easy baskets. But as the game went on, there was more hesitation and uncertainty by Lakers players, especially as Dallas went ahead.

Learning this offense will take some time for the Lakers but if they do master it, they will be very tough to beat. Gasol and Howard are skilled enough as bigs to make this offense work and Nash and Kobe should be fine in it as well.

This was Howard’s first game back from having surgery in the offseason and he will also need time to get his conditioning back to where it was. He seems pretty far along considering the surgery. The free throw shooting is obviously a problem but he should continue to look better as the season goes on.

The Thunder’s biggest competition was very different last night. Miami looked amazing, although maybe not too much better than they were last year in the Finals. The Lakers are a long way from reaching their potential.

The Thunder will open up their season Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST in San Antonio on TNT.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The NBA GMs participated in their annual survey earlier this week where they all answered a series of questions regarding the league.

One of the questions was: Which player would you pick to start an NBA franchise with today?

Last year, the GMs were split right down the middle on this question, 37 percent for Kevin Durant and 37 percent for LeBron James.

Now 80 percent of GMs say they would take LeBron over Durant. That’s a lot of change in one year. LeBron is coming off the best year of his career and finally got the monkey off his back and won a title but when it comes to this question, Durant should be right there with LeBron.

The thinking behind picking Durant instead of LeBron a year ago should not have changed now. Durant is still four years younger, has not fully reached his potential and also just had the best season of his career. Unless you really believed a year ago that LeBron would never win a title, your vote should remain the same.

Regardless of what the GMs say, why is Durant the better choice here?

LeBron is clearly at the apex of his career. It would surprise just about everyone if he takes his game to another, higher level this coming season or the next. Best case for LeBron now is sustaining what he did last year. He needs to do that and if Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can keep playing at elite levels, the Heat will continue to compete for titles.

Durant’s ceiling is unreached and really unknown as of right now. Some say he was dominated by LeBron in the Finals. That’s not exactly true though. He did end up in foul trouble in a few games which definitely changed the series but that was something he could have controlled better. Offensively, Durant scored 30.6 points per game and shot 54.8 percent from the field in the Finals. That’s not exactly getting dominated.

So imagine what happens as Durant reaches his apex since he’s already putting in performances this great now. Imagine what becomes of the Thunder team as Durant and Westbrook continue to learn how to play together even better. Or when Durant becomes a better playmaker, maybe averaging around five assists per game, and a better defender, one who is actually a perfect design to counter LeBron.

Durant is also the better closer. This seems to mainly be due to the fact that he is a better shooter and essentially the best shooter in the league. Just about every team that wins a title has their best player known for being clutch. Chris Paul is the NBA’s best closer right now but Durant is next in line. He gave us a glimpse of just how dominant he can be in the fourth quarter in last year’s playoffs. Soon he will take over the reigns as the league’s best closer which will take his game and team to another level.

Because Durant is the better pure shooter, his game is better suited for the long-haul. Durant will likely be able to play forever with that skill. What happens when LeBron starts losing a step and can’t blow by defenders anymore? What’s he going to start relying on? He will still be one of the best players in the league but not nearly in the same way that he is now.

Durant is pretty close to LeBron already. He’s only a few years at most away from getting to his level as he continues to ascend and LeBron soon will decline. When starting a franchise you have to be thinking long-term right? Give me Durant in that case.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

A story came out yesterday that the Los Angeles Lakers are planning to target LeBron James in 2014, when he can opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat and become a free agent.

The idea behind this is that Kobe Bryant might retire after playing two more seasons which would open up the cap room to go after a player like LeBron. LeBron will almost certainly opt out of his contract even if he plans to stay with Miami simply to get a maximum contract.

LeBron was asked about the rumors yesterday.

“That story, I don’t know where it came from, but I understand why it came up because of who I am — it’s going to happen,” LeBron said. “But I’m not going to worry about it. I’ve got to continue to stay focused with these guys and make sure we’re ready for any challenges that come.”

Meanwhile, Dwight Howard is still recovering from having surgery on his back this offseason and has yet to play in the preseason. A source has said that Howard is eyeing the Lakers’ game Sunday vs. the Sacramento Kings for his return.

Howard went on to say that he will be “nervous” somewhat when he returns to the floor.

“I know I’m going to be a little rusty, I haven’t played in so long,” Howard said. “It’s going be a little different, but I’m looking forward to it. Once I get my first dunk or my first block, everything will be OK.”

It will be interesting to see Howard in a Lakers uniform playing with Steve Nash and Kobe for the first time and how well they work together.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James can exercise an early termination option on his contract with the Miami Heat in the summer of 2014. This is a long time from now but there are already some murmurings about where LeBron might go if he decides this.

Of course, the Los Angeles Lakers are now being linked to LeBron.

Several teams’ executives have told ESPN.com they believe the Lakers are positioning themselves to make a run at LeBron James in 2014, when the Miami Heat star can choose to become a free agent.

via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst

Kobe Bryant has talked recently about possibly retiring after two more seasons when his contract is up. It’s not just Kobe’s contract that will be up then, also Pau Gasol’s, Metta World Peace’s, Steve Blake’s and Jordan Hill’s totaling around $65 million.

Essentially the Lakers would be in the market for LeBron to offer him a max contract. The Lakers will also be in position to offer LeBron the best chance to win a title assuming Dwight Howard is still on the roster.

LeBron will have another decision to make and if he makes it for the same reasons as the last one, why wouldn’t he choose the Lakers? Are Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh going to be able to offer LeBron a better chance at a title than Howard in L.A. in 2014-15?

A lot will of course depend on the next two seasons and how the Heat fare. If LeBron can string together two more titles and a three-peat then it’s hard to imagine him leaving. But it’s also very possible the Heat don’t win a title in the next two seasons. And what if it’s the Lakers and Howard dealing them defeat in the NBA Finals?

One thing that could easily stand in the way of this would be Kobe deciding not to retire. There’s nothing close to a guarantee that he will retire after the next two seasons. Many believe he might if he gets his sixth or seventh ring(s). Then there are those who can’t imagine Kobe ever deciding to walk away from the game and him playing into his 40’s.

As far off as this is right now and hard to imagine, LeBron becoming a Laker in a few seasons makes a lot of sense. Let’s try not to think of this Thunder fans.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

It’s no surprise that LeBron James will enter the 2012-13 NBA season as the heavy favorite to win the MVP.

LeBron captured his third MVP in four years last season and appears to be at the peak of his powers. His PER of 30.74 last season was by far the best in the league while Chris Paul came in second with a PER of 27.04.

The Sports Book Bovada currently has LeBron winning the MVP at 9/5 odds. Kevin Durant is second at 15/4. Kobe Bryant is third at 12/1. Russell Westbrook, Dwight Howard and Steve Nash are all 16/1.

Five of the top six players in terms of these odds are either on the Thunder or the Lakers. The Heat, Thunder and Lakers are considered to be slightly in a class by themselves to compete for an NBA title this season and combined with their star power it’s no surprise that the odds look like this.

The odds say that it will be closer to a 2-man race than anything else between LeBron and Durant, just like it was last season. Durant will have a lot of ground to make up if he is going to legitimately take the award from LeBron. Voters are always looking for fresh faces with the MVP though and if the Thunder have a better regular season record and Durant has a career-year, maybe he can pull it off.

Westbrook may be standing in Durant’s way as much as anything given the fourth best odds to win the MVP. That shows how valuable Westbrook is to the Thunder and will make it harder for Durant to really stand out as the MVP of his team and the league.

It’s interesting that Kobe has better odds than Howard. At this stage in his career Kobe is clearly on the decline while a new face in Howard in L.A. could make the Lakers an unstoppable force. If that is the case, often the voters will look to what changed from the year before to place the value and that will most likely be Howard’s impact.

And if you are really crazy, you can bet your money on James Harden to win the hardware at 350/1 odds.

The preseason is now underway and it’s time to overreact to what’s going on in those games. Well, not really. Here is a look at the first installment of our Power Rankings here at Thunderous Intentions from last week.

Since that time there were just a few preseason games for every team. Not a lot changed in terms of that. NBA title odds have been released as well as projections from a lot of sites. It can get you to thinking and rethinking some of your rankings.

Taking some of that into account, here are the newly updated Power Rankings.

1. Miami Heat (1)

It’s going to take a lot for the Heat to fall from the top of these rankings. The best thing they have going for them is they are in the weak Eastern Conference and their road to the Finals once the playoffs begin seems like as easy as ever. The Heat are 1-2 so far in the preseason losing to the Hawks then winning one of two vs. the Clippers in China.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder (2)

Unlike the Heat, the Thunder have a good chance of sliding up and down in these rankings once the season begins. That all depends on how teams like the Lakers and Spurs look. For now, the Thunder are still the Western Conference champs and all signs are that they are going to get better next season. OKC is 0-2 so far in the preseason losing to Houston and Utah on the road.

3. Los Angeles Lakers (3)

Dwight Howard still hasn’t played any preseason games yet but Steve Nash has gotten a chance to get to know his new teammates. If there is any team with a chance to jump to No. 1 in these rankings in the near future, it is the Lakers if they begin the season looking absolutely dominant, which could happen. The Lakers are 0-3 so far in the preseason having lost to Golden State, Portland and Utah.

4. San Antonio Spurs (4)

A lot of projections out there like the Spurs winning more games than anyone else in the league this coming season. It isn’t unreasonable since they have done just that in each of the last two years. These rankings are more about winning a title and not regular season prowess and since the Spurs still have basically the same roster as the last two years, they have a big hump to get over to surpass the top three on this list. The Spurs are 3-1 so far in the preseason having beaten Atlanta, Houston and Florence and lost to Denver.

5. Denver Nuggets (6)

The Nuggets moved up in these rankings. Why? I overlooked them somewhat last week I feel. John Hollinger has them finishing as the No. 2 seed in the West and that is totally possible in my opinion as well. Their depth will be unmatched and the addition of Andre Iguodala will really improve their defense giving them a leg up on a lot of teams. Denver is 2-0 beating the Clippers and Spurs so far in the preseason.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (5)

The Nuggets jumped the Clippers in these rankings. I feel Denver is a safer bet in the playoffs and the regular season than the Clippers. The Clippers added some depth but still might have the same issues as last season. Vinny Del Negro is still their head coach and that is a problem. The Clippers are 1-2 in the preseason so far losing to the Nuggets and splitting two games with the Heat in China.

7. Boston Celtics (7)

The Celtics looked good in the preseason so far. Jeff Green and Jared Sullinger impressed. Jason Terry and Courtney Lee will essentially be an upgrade from Ray Allen as well. Boston is deeper than they have been in awhile and have addressed some of their weaknesses from last year. They lost to a Turkish team in their first preseason game then beat AC Milan and then lost to the Knicks in overtime two days ago.

8. Indiana Pacers (9)

I have the Pacers jumping a spot here as well. I expect them to come out of the East as the No. 2 seed and that advantage cannot be overlooked in these power rankings. It means they would meet the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals and advance further than any other Eastern Conference team. The Pacers are 1-1 in the preseason so far in two games vs. the Timberwolves.

9. Chicago Bulls (8)

I drop the Bulls behind the Pacers here. Chicago has a lot to prove before they get any higher in these rankings and that starts with Derrick Rose’s health. The Bulls are 1-2 so far in the preseason beating Memphis and losing to Cleveland and Minnesota.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (NR)

The Brooklyn Nets were previously in the No. 10 spot on these rankings while the Grizzlies were not ranked. Brooklyn has to prove a little more before being ranked ahead of a team like Memphis who is so solid. The Grizzlies have one of the best frontlines in the NBA making them a very tough matchup for some teams ahead of them in this list including OKC, the Spurs and the Nuggets. The Grizzlies are 2-1 so far in the preseason beating Real Madrid and the Hawks and losing to the Bulls.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Miami Heat were changing their rotation on the fly during the road to an NBA championship last season.

After Chris Bosh went down with an injury in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Indiana, the Heat became shorthanded inside. This led to smaller lineups with LeBron James and Shane Battier playing the four.

In the end, it would work out perfectly for the Heat. They managed to continue winning while Bosh was out and the smaller lineup featuring LeBron at the four would be the perfect foil vs. the Thunder in the NBA Finals.

Had the Heat suffered no injuries in the postseason last year, they may have never gone to this strategy and may not have even won the title.

Instead of trying to strengthen their big men this offseason, the Heat remained committed to the position-less style that won them a title last year.

The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has decided upon a starting lineup for the upcoming season. He will have Mario Chalmers and Dwyane Wade in the backcourt, LeBron at small forward, Battier at power forward and Bosh at center.

This will leave Norris Cole, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and Udonis Haslem as the primary players coming off the bench.

We heard earlier this summer how the Heat would start using LeBron as a four more this upcoming season and maybe even start him there. LeBron did say that he doesn’t see himself as a power forward playing out the rest of his career.

This smaller lineup with LeBron and Battier at the forward spots and Bosh at center will be perfect for the regular season. Despite making it to the Finals in each of the last two years, the Heat have not posted the best regular season records. If they can stay relatively healthy this season, we should expect to see them come out as the No. 1 seed in the East.

How does this affect the Thunder?

As we saw in the NBA Finals, the Thunder did not have the easiest time matching up with the Heat when they went small, mainly because the Thunder stuck to their guns of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins starting in their frontcourt.

With the Heat deciding to commit to the lineup that ensured them last year’s NBA title, it really can’t be looked at as good news for the Thunder. If the Thunder are healthy through next year’s playoffs and make it to the Finals again, we may see the same script play out if they are facing the Heat.

The Thunder were a more efficient offense last season when they themselves went small with Kevin Durant at the four. They did this some in the playoffs too but their rotation wasn’t versatile enough to stick to it enough to keep up with the Heat.

The Thunder may have gained that versatility back with a healthy Eric Maynor (or Reggie Jackson) and rookie Perry Jones III. Both of these guys could crack the 8- or 9-man rotation for the Thunder by the playoffs and help give OKC better lineups to match up with Miami in a potential Finals rematch.

The tough thing for the Thunder however is that they will probably not be relying on their small lineups as much in their road through the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers right now are the biggest obstacle in the Thunder’s way of another trip to the Finals and OKC won’t be playing a lot of small ball vs. them.

Despite the Thunder having such a tough time against the Heat’s smaller lineup in the Finals, they were still very close to winning each of the first four games. They will be more experienced and poised if they are in that situation again next season and that may be enough for them to pull it out.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

We are just about three weeks away until the regular season tips off in the NBA. The preseason is now underway too so we’re getting our first chance to look at every team.

LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the NBA title last year and are now the team with the biggest target on their back (well, they always had the biggest target on their back).

The goal for the Heat isn’t to stay the same but to find a way to reinvent themselves so they are prepared to defend their title. The goal for every other team is to figure out a way to become better than the Heat.

Power rankings this early before the season starts will probably look different by the time the playoffs roll around. But we’re going to make it a tradition here at Thunderous Intentions every Monday to rank the ten best teams in the NBA.

1. Miami Heat

The Heat earned this No. 1 spot and there is no reason for them not to start the year in the poll position. They seemed to make some really smart moves this offseason too by bringing in Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. LeBron seems to be embracing the power forward position and Chris Bosh the center spot. The Heat are pretty position-less for the most part and their versatility is so far unmatched by anyone else, which may be the biggest reason they are the class of the NBA right now.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

Last year’s runner-ups have to be given the best shot at dethroning the Miami Heat. OKC had a great year last season just getting to the NBA Finals and beating the San Antonio Spurs in the West Finals. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden should be hungrier than ever this season and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league. The Thunder can match up with Miami as well as anyone. They can also match up with the Lakers as well as anyone too. They have some things they need to work on themselves (turnovers and rebounding) but if they continue to progress like they have been in each of the past three years, they should be able to contend with Miami as well as anyone.

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers made the biggest noise this summer acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash. They seemed to be fading away as NBA title contenders the last two seasons but now are completely revitalized in that respect. The potential for this Lakers roster is as high as any team in the league. The unknown of how exactly they will mesh is why they aren’t higher in these rankings yet. They’ve just played one preseason game so far, are installing a new offense and Howard isn’t 100 percent yet. For now, the Heat and Thunder deserve to be ahead of them.

4. San Antonio Spurs

Everyone always overlooks the Spurs and this year it will be as easy as ever to do so. They made probably the least amount of changes to their roster as anyone this offseason, but that’s not a knock on them at all. They had the best record in the West last season and while many call them old, they really aren’t and should be just as potent this coming season as the last. They have some (championship) flaws however as they aren’t quite elite defensively and their star power is fading. They should still be in the mix for the best regular season record this year and will be a very tough out for anyone in the playoffs.

5. Los Angeles Clippers

Chris Paul came to town and immediately changed the culture of this franchise. There may be no more valuable player in the league to his team right now than Paul is to the Clips. The Clippers advance to the second round of the playoffs this past season where they were swept by the Spurs. In the second year of the CP3-era, we can expect some big improvements. They made some nice additions this offseason in Grant Hill, Lamar Odom and Jamal Crawford. Their frontline will be able to keep up with the Lakers’ and Paul has established himself as the best closer in the league. They will always have a fighting chance with that formula.

6. Denver Nuggets

That’s right, just one team from the East so far. The Nuggets are sneaky good and got sneaky better this offseason by acquiring Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is one of the best defenders in the league and the impact he will have in Denver will be huge in giving this team that missing ingredient from the past two seasons. Offensively, Denver will be able to score. They are just missing that go-to option late in games but they may be good enough to get the job done by committee. Being 6th in these rankings is nice but they are still 5th in the West. They could surprise a lot of teams though and finish as high as the 3-seed in the West if all goes well.

7. Boston Celtics

When the Celtics saw Ray Allen walk to the Miami Heat this summer, it was supposed to mark the end of the Big 3 era. Well, it did but the Celtics may be in better shape this season than they were last year to compete with the Heat. Boston brought back Kevin Garnett and also brought in Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and rookie Jared Sullinger who has looked great so far in the preseason. Jeff Green is healthy now too which gives them another athlete to throw at LeBron and some extra scoring punch. Boston is deeper than they were last year and if they can stay healthy may be the best equipped team to bring down the Heat in the East.

8. Chicago Bulls

The Bulls had a rough year last season dealing with the Derrick Rose injuries. They did nothing big this offseason too to make anyone think they will get any better this season. But we didn’t really know how good they were last year. They had the best record in the league despite the reigning MVP missing a big chunk of the season. If Rose is healthy come playoff time, there’s really no reason to think Chicago can’t play Miami very tough. The bench did take a hit though but their main core is still together. Don’t sleep on the Bulls this year.

9. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers have gotten better in each of the last two years and could be on the cusp of making another jump into the NBA title contenders discussion. Their work starts on defense where they have a pretty good anchor in Roy Hibbert, who they just locked up to a max-deal this summer. Paul George is one of the best up-and-coming stars and will need to fulfill that prophecy for this team to really reach their potential. They played aBosh-less Miami team close in the playoffs last year but are still a far way from taking them down.

10. Brooklyn Nets

In their first season in Brooklyn, the Nets will have a pretty decent basketball product to go with the excitement of moving to BK. They traded for Joe Johnson this summer and kept the rest of their core, including signing Deron Williams on for the next five years. They will be taxed more than anyone in the league but their owner doesn’t really care. The ceiling for Brooklyn may be higher than any team’s in the East besides Miami but there are a lot of questions to be answered first and that’s why they finish these power rankings in the 10 spot.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Miami Heat Team Overview

LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the NBA title last season. They didn’t have the best regular season, they battled some injury problems all the way up until the NBA Finals and then it all came together in five games vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.

LeBron had quite the year winning his first ring, third MVP and second gold medal. LeBron didn’t come to Miami to win just one title and the Heat went out this offseason looking to retool to be prepared to defend their title next season.

The biggest acquisition for Miami was Ray Allen from the Boston Celtics. The Heat’s goal is to surround their Big 3 with a bunch of 3-point shooters and Allen is one of the best ever. Allen’s regular season impact may not equate to much more than a few wins here and there but in the playoffs and in clutch situations he will be most valuable.

The Heat also signed free agent Rashard Lewis who hasn’t played good basketball in a few years but a change of scenery in Miami with LeBron and Wade may resurrect his game.

The Heat were looking to add to the pot in putting together a roster of versatile players where traditional positions become less relevant. They seem committed to the small-ball style that won them a title last year. There is talk that Chris Bosh is embracing the center position and LeBron the power forward role.

The Heat didn’t stand pat after winning a title which was a good thing for them. You always have to get better even after winning a championship and Miami thinks they have done just that.

Last year

The Heat and Thunder of course met in the NBA Finals last year and the Heat won in five games. In the regular season, they played twice and each team defended their home court.

The Thunder won the first game easily 103-87. Kevin Durant outplayed LeBron scoring 28 points to go with eight assists and nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook had just 13 on 4-of-16 shooting. James Harden had 19 on 6-of-7 shooting as he was playing the best basketball of the season at this time.

Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins dominated the paint combining for 35 points and 16 rebounds.

LeBron had 17 in the game as Wade led the way with 22. The Heat started Joel Anthony at center in the game and he played 16 minutes. Ronny Turiaf played 11 minutes off the bench and Udonis Haslem 32 minutes.

The Heat won the next game in Miami 98-93. LeBron had a much better game with 34 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Wade had 19 and Bosh just 12.

Durant had 30 and Westbrook had 28 in the game but Ibaka and Perkins combined for just six points.

The Heat played more small ball in that game with Anthony and Turiaf playing a combined 23 minutes.

In the Finals, the Thunder took Game 1 105-94 as Durant outplayed LeBron for probably the only time in the series. He had 36 points and 17 came in the fourth quarter. LeBron was still good with 30 points but the Heat just looked flat in the game.

The Heat went on to win the next four games as the Thunder could not figure out their smaller lineups. Every minute Perkins played seemed like a disaster for the Thunder and he was playing hurt no less. Durant picked up a lot of stupid fouls that would keep him sidelined more than usual and everything came together for the Heat down the stretch.

Durant averaged 30.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in the Finals while shooting .548 percent from the field and .394 percent from three. He only attempted 6.2free throws per game and the Thunder shot a much lower percentage from the line in the series too which didn’t do them any favors.

Westbrook averaged 27.0 points, 6.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. He shot .433 percent from the field and .136 percent from three despite attempting 4.4 threes per game. He did provide us with one of the most memorable Finals performances scoring 43 points in Game 4 despite the Thunder losing the game.

Harden was miserable in the Finals averaging 12.4 points per game and shooting .375 percent from the field and .318 percent from three. He only attempted 4.8 free throws per game too as the Heat defense was by far the toughest the Thunder and Harden faced all playoffs and it really showed as Harden never found his rhythm.

LeBron captured the Finals MVP averaging 28.6 points, 7.4 assists and 10.2 rebounds per game. He shot .472 percent from the field and .826 percent from the line while attempting 9.2 free throws per game.

Wade averaged 22.6 points and 5.2 assists per game. He only shot .435 percent from the field but attempted 8.0 free throws per game.

Bosh averaged 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. He shot just .452 percent from the field.

Shane Battier was the savior for the Heat averaging 11.6 points per game in the series. He shot .577 percent from three and made 3.0 threes per game in the series.

The matchup

The Thunder and Heat are pretty evenly matched overall. In the regular season, the Heat offense had no real advantage vs. the Thunder defense.

The Thunder offense had its biggest advantage vs. the Heat with its spot-up shooting. The Thunder were the 6th best in the NBA at spot-up shooting plays in terms of points per possession while the Heat were just 21st best vs. those plays.

The Heat were the best in the NBA defending isolation plays and the 3rd best vs. the pick-and-roll.

The Thunder defense became a lot worse in the playoffs and especially the last two rounds when they played the Spurs and Heat. The Heat had a slight advantage in almost every area vs. the Thunder defense, especially in transition and pick-and-roll plays where the Heat were the best in the playoffs at both.

The Heat defense did suffer some with the injury to Bosh and playing more small lineups. The Thunder had a slight advantage in isolation and pick-and-roll plays but it was not enough.

The biggest misconception in the NBA Finals is that the Heat won by getting into the post. The Heat were the least efficient team in the playoffs scoring from the post against the Thunder. They killed the Thunder passing out of the post for open 3-point shooters. This happened because Durant got in foul trouble and the Thunder had to put smaller players on LeBron and thought they had to double him.

If the Thunder would have decided to still play one-on-one vs. LeBron in the post, they would have had a better chance to win the series. Instead, LeBron was able to get every one of his teammates involved (which he loves doing) and that made the Heat much tougher for the Thunder to beat.

The Thunder were able to scored most efficiently vs. the Heat in the pick-and-roll in the Finals. The Heat pick-and-roll defense in the Finals was the worst of any team in the playoffs while the Thunder pick-and-roll offense was the best.

Again, scoring was not the problem for the Thunder in the Finals, it was their defense that killed them.

Next year

The Heat made some changes this offseason but their style of play will resemble most closely what we saw from them in the NBA Finals. This should make for them to be a better regular season team.

The Thunder will play the Heat twice in the regular season next year first on Christmas Day in Miami and then on Feb. 14 in Oklahoma City.

The Heat finished as the 2-seed in the East each of the last two years but this coming season they should be in position to get the top seed in their conference. The East is so weak too and with the Bulls and Rose’s future uncertain, the Heat are the easy favorites to make it back to the NBA Finals again.

The Thunder hope to do so too but it just got harder for them with the Lakers acquiring Dwight Howard and Steve Nash this summer.

If we do see a rematch in the NBA Finals, remember that everything went just right for the Heat last year in the Finals while the Thunder did not play to the level they had been all playoffs. The Thunder were very young and looked like the less-experienced team in that series.

The Thunder should be more prepared should they meet the Heat again the Finals next year and that could mean a new champion in the NBA.

A lot of people think this is a weird thing to happen in sports and in the NBA in particular. A lot of people think there was a time when the hatred among the biggest rivalries in the league was better for the sport. Bird and Magic hated each other. Jordan wanted to kill anyone in his path. This “new” friendship that we are seeing in the NBA among its superstars has made the league softer than it used to be.

People are divided on how they feel about this. Skip Bayless leads one side that this means LeBron “owns” Durant now. He has a psychological advantage over him because he is keeping is enemy close to him. It would be in Durant’s best interest to have nothing to do with LeBron in the summers and instead of being friends with him, try to hate him.

Then there are those who like this. It’s cool that LeBron and Durant are this close and that the two best players in the league despite being on different teams are working out together like this to help each other get better. It’s love and respect, which is probably stronger than hate by the way.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this at first. I want to hate LeBron in a sports sense. I want to see him lose vs. Durant. I want to see that Jordan-look in Durant’s eyes (Durant does have a similar look, only problem is he looks like a 10-year old who is pouting) when he has the ball and LeBron is guarding him, like he wants to destroy him, embarrass him and then laugh at him later. I thought that was the best way.

But now I’m not so sure. After watching Durant as closely as possible this past season, I know without a shadow of a doubt that he in no way is less prepared or has less desire to beat LeBron simply because he is his friend. Durant is as competitive as there is in this league. If you’ve been around sports, you see it in how he plays. He knows only one speed on the basketball court. It’s not a coincidence that he is always scoring the most points in All-Star games or dropping 66 in games that don’t matter in the offseason. That’s part of Durant’s drive. He wants to be the best at all times and he wants it now. He doesn’t have to hate to get there.

What Durant and LeBron are doing in the summers has just one goal: they want to get better. LeBron’s not doing this to learn Durant’s tricks and get a one-up on him in that way. Durant isn’t either. This isn’t the first time this has happened in the NBA either. The best players have been friends and hung out in the offseason for years. We just think we are hearing about it now for the first time because it’s 2012 and LeBron and Durant are tweeting about it.

So I don’t think Durant is making a mistake by doing this, not at all. In fact, this isn’t even that big of a deal. Really it’s just two NBA players working out with each other in the summer. No big deal.

Durant will continue to creep closer to LeBron next season. We saw LeBron hit the absolute apex of his career last year. But Durant wasn’t that far off. He outplayed LeBron in one of their regular season meetings and then outplayed him in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. LeBron was comfortable and seemingly doing whatever he wanted in the Finals but he did not individually dominate Durant in the way people want to remember. Durant averaged 30.6 points per game and shot .548 percent from the field in the Finals. He wasn’t dominated, just overall he was outplayed. At 23 years old, that is acceptable. It was a learning experience and Durant and the Thunder will be back next year more prepared.

LeBron and the Heat still have a few years left in them to be competing for titles. A lot depends on the health of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh but if all goes well in the pathetic Eastern Conference, they will be back in the Finals waiting for Durant and the Thunder if they can get past the new-look Lakers.

It’s the newest rivalry in sports, LeBron vs. Durant. It has the potential to be remembered as one of the best rivalries in the history of the NBA. LeBron and Durant working out together in the summers, winning gold medals together and loving and respecting each other will only make it that much better.

Thanks Durant, now I don’t hate LeBron anymore.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

Everything came together for the Miami Heat last year as they won an NBA championship, the first for LeBron James. Next is the greater challenge, trying to win another and it only gets harder.

The Heat players and coaching staff have talked about how the team can’t be the same next year. They need to adapt and evolve if they are going to win another title.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra would like for the team to play more up-tempo next season.

“I hope to play faster,” Spoelstra told the Sun Sentinel. “We turned it up a gear last year and I think we have the personnel to hopefully go even faster. And I think with a normal training camp and a full season, we can build that habit a little bit more.”

With the addition of Ray Allen this season, Spoelstra and the Heat want to maximize his contributions, much of which come as s 3-point shooter in transition.

“He’s a Hall of Fame-type catch-and-shoot player,” Spoelstra said. “We haven’t had that element before in our offense. So it’s been a lot of fun, trying to X-and-O and come up with new ways to get him open. I don’t want to overthink it. I don’t want to totally change what we do, but that’s a great element to have, that type of weapon.”

Would the Heat become a tougher team for the Oklahoma City Thunder to beat if they are playing at a faster pace? Usually the consensus surrounding the Thunder is that they are at their best playing up-tempo.

The Thunder were fifth in the NBA last season in pace while the Heat were 14th. The Thunder had the second-best offensive efficiency while Miami was sixth.

In the playoffs up until the Finals, the Thunder were playing games at a greater pace in the West than what Miami was doing in the East. The Thunder had a higher offensive efficiency in the first three rounds than the Heat and then saw a significant decline in the Finals.

The pace was much slower in the Finals than in the Western Conference Finals for the Thunder while the pace was about the same for the Heat in the Finals as it was in the previous two rounds. You would still say that the games between OKC and Miami were more up-tempo than the Eastern Conference Finals and Semifinals although the numbers only show a slight increase in pace.

Miami raised its offensive efficiency in the Finals too. Part of that was Chris Bosh returning and their new style using LeBron at the four. In the small sample size that was last year’s playoffs, it is safe to say that the Heat were better offensively in the Finals than any other time.

The Heat did dictate the pace in the Finals and play one closer to their style than the Thunder’s. So the question is, if the Heat were to run a little more and the series resembled more closely what we saw in the Western Conference Finals, would the Heat increase the advantage they had in offensive efficiency vs. the Thunder, or would the gap decrease?

It is pretty much common knowledge that one of the great equalizers in basketball is playing at a fast pace. It can make a less talented team able to compete with a better one. It’s also common knowledge that the game slows down in the playoffs with more of an emphasis on half court basketball.

Great up-tempo teams in the past always seem to underachieve in the playoffs. Look at the Phoenix Suns of the last decade and maybe even to a degree the San Antonio Spurs the past two seasons. If you are able to be one of the most efficient offenses in the league while playing at a slower pace, you are in better shape to win a title.

The Heat were pretty much like that last year. While they could be able to increase their regular season win total and look like a more efficient offense playing more up-tempo, it wouldn’t necessarily help them become a better championship-caliber team. That seems to be the wrong direction to go in.

Spoelstra isn’t talking about anything dramatic though here and when you have LeBron, it’s easier to become more versatile in your style of play.

Think about how the Thunder are trying to improve to. It isn’t by getting out and running more although they will never shy away from a fast break opportunity. It’s about establishing a post presence on offense and getting better shots in the half court offense. And it’s about being a better defensive team vs. the pick-and-roll.

It’s scary to think about LeBron and Dwyane Wade on a fast break with Ray Allen trailing for spot-up threes but those aren’t the things that decide championships.

As always, the Thunder aren’t worried about any other team except themselves. As long as they keep getting better, they will be in as good of position as anyone to win a title.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

LeBron James has established himself as the clear-cut, best player in the NBA. He’s won three of the last four MVP awards and led the league in PER in each of the last five seasons.

LeBron will head into the 2012-13 season as the frontrunner to win the MVP again but that’s not always a good thing. With the MVP award, voters are always looking for a fresh face or better story to win the award even if they aren’t quite as deserving.

We saw this in 2010-11 when Derrick Rose won the award despite being ninth in the league in PER. He led the Chicago Bulls to the best record in the NBA though doing just about everything for that team and it prevented LeBron from winning his third straight MVP.

So while LeBron has a very good chance to lead the league in PER again this season, he has a lesser chance to win his fourth MVP in five seasons.

Here’s a look at five players who have a chance to steal the award from him.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Durant has emerged as the consensus second-best player in the NBA. He’s coming off his best season yet in which he led the Thunder to the NBA Finals and he captured his third straight scoring title. He also saw increases in a lot of stat categories including shooting percentage, rebounding and assists. If we see some more all-around improvement from Durant in those areas and the Thunder put together a monster regular season win total, he may very well be in perfect position to win his first ever MVP.

Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers made the biggest move of the summer trading for Howard and now they are right up there again as title contenders. Howard has a chance to drastically improve the Lakers and that kind of effect will make him very relevant in MVP talk. He already makes as great an impact as any NBA player in defense. There is a chance though that Howard will miss a large chunk of the season and won’t play until January or February. If that is the case, then his chance at winning are pretty slim.

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Paul is as valuable as any player in the league is to their team. In his first season with the Clippers last year, he led them to the second round of the playoffs and was second in the NBA in PER. He proved himself as one of the most clutch players in the league and seemed to single-handedly drag the Clippers to wins at times. In his second season with the Clippers, we could see a big improvement for the team while Paul remains just as efficient. If they are fighting for the top seed in the West late in the season, expect Paul’s name to come up when discussing the MVP.

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Just when we thought the Celtics were going to roll over and die, they went out and had a pretty good offseason putting together a roster that should still compete for a high seed in the East next season. Rondo has continued to progress as a player and led the league in assists per game last season. He may be poised for a monster regular season as the Celtics now totally hand over the reins of the team to him. We’ve seen the Heat mail it in somewhat the last two regular seasons which may leave the door open for the Celtics to challenge them for the top seed in the East. If they do, then Rondo will get a lot of MVP love next season’s end.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

Love has been making some of the biggest improvements of anyone in the league over the past few seasons. Last year he finished fifth in the league in PER and averaged 26.0 points and 13.3 rebounds per game. He has been in a class by himself throwing up numbers like that. The Timberwolves will need to improve their win total by quite a lot for Love to be considered an MVP candidate but if they do make the playoffs, it will be because Love is playing like an MVP.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The landscape of the NBA was shaken up this summer when the Los Angeles Lakers went out and traded for Steve Nash and Dwight Howard making themselves legitimate title contenders over night.

It’s even got some Miami Heat players saying some interesting things. Chris Bosh said on a radio interview that he thinks the Lakers have the “best team on paper” now, even better than the Heat. He then said that the Heat need to “start over” to defend their title.

The Lakers do have an impressive team on paper now with a starting five that includes Nash, Howard, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. But you’d still think the defending champions would say they have the best team.

Bosh is a weird guy though so it’s not a total surprise a comment like this is coming from him. If it was Dwyane Wade speaking, you could expect him to say something like, “We are the champions. We’re the best until someone beats us.”

Kevin Durant and James Harden were asked about the Lakers when they appeared on the Jimmy Fallon Show and they replied with silence at first and then finally Durant added coldly, “Good for them.”

Everyone will be gunning for the Lakers and their new All-Star team next season. That means a lot of the pressure is now off the Heat. That will be a good thing for them but winning two straight titles is no small task either.

The Lakers may not be playing with their “best team on paper” lineup at the start of the season either. Howard is still recovering from back surgery and may not be ready until January.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off the biggest move of the summer last week when they traded for Dwight Howard. It is a move that will shake up the landscape of the NBA, as is always a case when a player as talented as Howard switches teams.

The Lakers finished the season last year as the 3-seed in the Western Conference behind the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. Now they are being talked about as potentially the NBA title favorites.

But should we be talking about them already as title favorites?

The Lakers starting five for next season will certainly be an impressive one. They are returning Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace from last year and now adding Howard and Steve Nash.

The pieces should fit in seamlessly. This won’t be a case like we saw in 2011, when LeBron, Wade and Bosh joined together in Miami and it took some time getting used to. Nash’s selflessness will ensure this more than anything.

With Nash running the show, he will get the ball to players when and where they need it. Kobe is at a point in his career where he shouldn’t stand in the way of this too much. Expect a bounce back season from Gasol too now teamed with Nash.

There is some potential for the personalities to not exactly gel. Howard is known as a kind of jokester that doesn’t take things seriously enough. He was able to be this way in Orlando as the clear alpha-dog of the team playing for a franchise that had so much invested in him. No one was going to call him out for that behavior but that will change in L.A. playing alongside Kobe.

There is the question of age too. Nash is 38 and Kobe is an old 33. Both are on the decline but showed last year they can still play at an elite level. It will continue to become harder to sustain that level but playing with Howard will make it easier.

It has been easy to forget just how valuable Howard has been during all of the recent drama. Before Howard ruined his image, he was deservedly so considered one of the most valuable players in the league. The effect Howard had in Orlando was remarkable, leading that team to high playoff seeds and anchoring one of the most efficient defenses in the NBA with little support around him.

Howard did get injured this past season and is expected to miss the beginning of next season. If he can get back to 100 percent, playing at the level he has shown in the past, the Lakers may very well emerge as NBA title favorites.

Of course there are a few teams that would like to have a say in this. The Miami Heat are coming off an NBA championship season last year with LeBron James playing as well as he ever has. The Heat made some noise this offseason too adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to the roster.

In the West, the Thunder, Spurs and Clippers are all returning very formidable teams that will be able to compete with the Lakers. The Thunder got to the NBA Finals with a very impressive playoff run through the West’s elite and are only expected to improve upon that next season with the experience they gained.

We know what to expect from the Heat and Thunder. The Lakers are more of a wild card and that’s why they shouldn’t be called the title favorites just yet. We need to see what they do on the floor first and until then, the league still belongs to the Heat and Thunder.

This has yet to matter though as Team USA is 3-0 so far in Olympic play most recently dominating Nigeria to the fullest with an 83-point victory.

Team USA makes up for its lack of size with superior talent. In particular with three players, that are playing somewhat out of position than we’re used to seeing them in the NBA.

Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have each assumed roles with this team where they are playing power forward and sometimes center. This is something that became necessary for Mike Krzyzewski to do once the likes of Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh weren’t going to be on the team and it has worked our just fine.

Playing the four isn’t a totally foreign concept for these three. In fact, you could argue that their NBA teams were most successful when each of these players played the four for them.

A big reason why the Miami Heat won the NBA title this season was because they went to a smaller lineup after Bosh got injured that featured LeBron at the four. It worked so well without Bosh that when he returned at the end of the Eastern Conference Finals, head coach Erik Spoelstra stuck with it all the way through the NBA Finals.

LeBron morphed into a version of Larry Bird using his distributor skills from the low block and posing mismatch problems even more so than usual with his new position.

While not as dramatic as LeBron changing positions, many argue that the Thunder are at their best when Durant plays the four. He stretches the floor as well as anyone in the league and has the length to contend with taller players inside.

The Thunder become more of an up-and-down team when he plays the four and Serge Ibaka is next to him at the five. They give up more on the defensive end with this lineup but their offense takes on a new form that is almost impossible to truly matchup with.

The Knicks too experienced some of their best success last season with Anthony at the four while Amare Stoudemire was out of the lineup. Anthony has showed in the past in the Olympics his ability to play the four and is doing it again this summer as he just set a U.S. Olympic record with 37 points vs. Nigeria.

This is what the future of the NBA will be. There was a time when teams liked their bigger lineups, ones that might prefer Anthony Mason or Robert Horry at the three. That was the 1990’s and the game is different now and perhaps ready to take an even more dramatic step forward in terms of positions.

There are more skilled athletes than ever in the NBA today. Players like LeBron and Durant are the best in the league largely because of what they can do with a basketball despite their huge frames.

Pat Riley has come out and said that the Heat will not necessarily be looking for a center for next season despite that being one of the obvious holes of their roster. They are committed to sticking with what worked last season in moving LeBron to the low block.

The Knicks too are considering this with their head coach Mike Woodson recently discussing smaller lineups with Ronnie Brewer.

The Thunder became more versatile this year with some of the pickups they made. Two new players that will likely crack their rotation this year are Eric Maynor who was injured last season after playing only nine games and rookie Perry Jones.

Jones matches the future direction of the NBA as well as anyone. Once he would have been considered a soft big who didn’t rebound enough or score enough from the block. Now he is a matchup nightmare because of his versatility. And lined up next to Durant will give the Thunder something that will be just about impossible for any team to match up with.

We will continue to try and find something about this 2012 U.S. Olympic team that will make them beatable. Spain and Brazil’s size is the one thing that looks like could give Team USA trouble.

But maybe that’s not the case at all. Maybe Team USA is better off with this lineup, becoming more versatile and being able to play the brand of basketball that will be displayed for years to come in the NBA.

Basketball is always evolving and Durant, LeBron and Melo are the next evolution.

The Heat won the NBA title this past season with LeBron James capturing his first championship ever. The common sentiment is that now it’s going to get easier for LeBron and the Heat to keep winning championships because the pressure will be less.

That’s just not true.

“If we learned one thing from the 2006 title, it was that you need to continue to reinvent yourself and improve as a basketball team,” Spoelstra told the Sun Sentinel. “That year we brought the exact the same team back, we thought it would be the same path and same journey. It never is.

“It’s always going to be different. And we ended up losing the first round and we were swept in four games. Another year later, we only won 15 games and we were the worst team in basketball and that’s how fragile this game can be.”

The 2012 team isn’t built the same way the 2006 team was. The 2006 Heat team was one of the worst teams to ever win a title and practically stole the title away from the Dallas Mavericks with a lot of help from the referees. Shaquille O’Neal was very much on the decline and there was not a lot of support around Dwyane Wade.

The expectations for the Heat when LeBron came to town was to win multiple titles. One title would be considered a failure. Even two will not be enough. The Heat have already been to the Finals in each of the first two seasons since acquiring LeBron but Spoelstra is right, it isn’t going to get easier.

Defending a title and repeating is one of the toughest things to do in this league. It’s really a pretty short list of teams and players that have been able to do it.

For the Heat to have a chance to repeat as the champion it would mean making a third straight Finals appearance which is no small task. They have been pretty fortunate in the first two years to make it there with the landscape of the Eastern Conference being pretty weak but that could change this season.

The Heat have gone about the reinvention process this summer by acquiring Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. It’s a move that looks great on paper but it might not have the kind of impact some are anticipating.

LeBron had possibly the best season of his career last year really carrying the team while his running mates Wade and Chris Bosh battled injury and essentially their production declined from the season before. It should not be expected for LeBron to continue playing at this level. He did so much for the team and while he shouldn’t decline in terms of talent, to keep up that kind of efficiency might be too much even for him.

The Heat will likely need bounce back seasons from Wade and Bosh to seriously be a threat to repeat. Neither are too old yet but they shouldn’t expect to have the same kind of season they did last year with the same ultimate result.

Teams will be waiting for the Heat next year, hungrier than ever to give them their best shot. The Heat beat one of the hungriest teams in the league last year in the NBA Finals in the Oklahoma City Thunder who are poised as much as anyone to get back to the Finals again.

The celebrating can stop for LeBron and the Heat and it has. They are self aware of their situation and should make a strong defense of their title. It definitely won’t be easier now though, it never is.

Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012-13 NBA Schedule was released last night. This year we will get the regular 82-game schedule instead of the condensed 66-game schedule the players had to deal with last season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the premiere teams in the league and thus will have 30 of their games on national TV next season.

The Thunder will kick off the season Nov. 1 on TNT in a rematch of the Western Conference Finals vs. the San Antonio Spurs on the road. The first home game for OKC will be Nov. 2 vs. the Portland Trailblazers.

The marquee matchup for the Thunder will be on Christmas Day when they travel to South Beach for their first chance at exacting some revenge against the Miami Heat. The game will be at 5:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

The Thunder will play Miami for a second time on Feb. 14 on TNT.

The Thunder will play 15 back-to-backs next season and actually starts the season with one. Only the Orlando Magic will play less back-to-backs with 13. The Thunder played 17 back-to-backs last season.

Opening night will be Oct. 30 featuring two games on TNT with the first one being the Miami Heat hosting the Boston Celtics followed up by the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Dallas Mavericks.

Here is the full Thunder schedule below (all times EST):