Kevin Durant was named the Western Conference Player of the Week today for games played from 3/19-3/25. Joe Johnson was the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

The Thunder went 3-1 this past week beating Minnesota, the Los Angeles Clippers and then capping off the week nicely with their win last night over the Miami Heat.

Durant averaged 29.5 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game during the week. He had 40 points and 17 rebounds in the double-overtime win over the Timberwolves and 28 points, nine rebounds and eight assists last night against the Heat.

The Thunder are really seeming to hit their stride with these last three wins this past week with of course the win over Miami being the most impressive.

Oklahoma City currently sits first in the Western Conference with a 37-12 record, three games ahead of the second-place San Antonio Spurs.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Thunder beat the Heat 103-87 Sunday night. It was a very meaningful regular season game. It was the first matchup between the two teams that are probably the favorites to meet in the NBA Finals this year.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James were matched up for most of the game. Durant completely outplayed James.

Durant put up LeBron-like numbers flirting with a triple-double as he scored 28 to go along with nine boards and eight assists. He also effectively shut down James on defense who scored just 17 points, was 8-of-18 from the floor and attempted only one free throw.

Eight times in the game Durant was matched up with LeBron when he tried to score. LeBron went 1-of-8 with Durant guarding him, settling for step-back jumpers and floaters instead of driving to the rim or scoring in the post.

It was the statement game for the Thunder and for Kevin Durant. Durant is letting the world know that is he isn’t already, he’s nearing LeBron James’ level.

Tonight, Durant became the first player this season to really challenge LeBron as the MVP. LeBron’s numbers are better overall and will be until the end of the season but there’s more to the MVP than that, whether you like it or not.

If the Thunder finish the season with a better record than the Miami Heat and Durant outplays LeBron in the teams’ two meetings than the award is his. He’s already done it once and the Thunder are a few games ahead of the Heat now.

Last year Derrick Rose won the award when LeBron had the better numbers. It’s the story that matters too and the Thunder and Durant this year are a lot like Rose and the Bulls of last year.

The Thunder and Heat will play again this season on April 4 in Miami. That game will be closer to the end of the regular season and could be the matchup that decides the MVP award this season with the voting likely to be pretty close.

If the Heat come out and play like they did tonight then it will be Durant who brings home the hardware. If LeBron shows up and puts the young Thunder back in their place – like he should do – then he will rightfully win the award.

Just remember, only LeBron can have one of the best regular seasons in NBA history and still choke away winning the MVP.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder sent a message to the Miami Heat and the rest of the NBA tonight beating the heat 103-87 in Chesapeake Arena.

Durant completely outplayed LeBron James and heard the crowd chanting “MVP, MVP” as he was shooting free throws in the final minutes of the game. Durant put up a James-like stat-line tonight with 28 points, nine rebounds and eight rebounds.

James had just 17 points and seven assists, was visibly passive with Durant guarding him and attempted just one free throw in the game.

The Thunder would get 35 points and 16 rebounds out of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka tonight as the two combined to go 16-for-21 from the field. Perkins – who said this game meant more than the usual regular season game before the tip – especially helped set the tone finishing off strong dunks all night including this one where he got tangled up with Wade on the follow through.

With Russell Westbrook in foul trouble in the first half it would be James Harden who stepped up for the Thunder and helped them start pulling away. Harden scored 14 of his 19 points in the first half and also added six assists in the game. He actually had one of his bigger struggled of the season dealing with Miami’s Shane Battier and turned the ball over seven times.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The headline will read Durant and LeBron when looking at this game. James seemed to revert back to a similar mode that he was in during the NBA Finals last year with the announcers mentioning how he needed to be more aggressive. Credit the Thunder defense and Durant in particular for the attention they paid him all night.

Miami relies a lot on spot-up shooting and didn’t kill the Thunder in that department tonight making just 7-of-22 threes in the game. Wade and James who have been taking far fewer threes this season attempted seven in the game with Wade being the only one to make any converting three including a 68-footer.

The Thunder would also have less turnovers than Miami on the night with 16 compared to 21. The Heat have one of the best defenses in the league but Oklahoma City was up to the challenge tonight and took care of the ball for the most part and had some of their best ball movement of the season with 26 assists as a team.

Westbrook would have a tough night for the Thunder and was unable to find any rhythm after getting into foul trouble in the first half. He was 4-for-16 in the game and Wade noticeably seemed to have his number whenever they matched up.

The Thunder simply outplayed Miami tonight and also “out-efforted” them. This is the kind of team the Thunder are never taking nights off while Miami is known for it. You would have expected in this game for both teams to bring their best stuff but it was simply not the case.

The teams will meet again once more this season on April 4 in Miami. The Thunder (37-12) will play next at Portland (22-26) on Tuesday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are protecting their home court tonight leading 80-69 after three quarters vs. the Miami Heat. The Thunder started to pull away in the second quarter with plays on the fast break like this one that occurred in the third quarter.

The Thunder are able to match the Heat’s athleticism and have much more intensity tonight.

Kevin Durant is leading the way with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists easily outplaying LeBron James on the night. James has 13 points and has attempted just one free throw through three quarters.

Dwyane Wade kept Miami alive with three threes in the third.

This is a potential NBA Finals preview and right now the Thunder have a slightly better record than the Heat. Their matchups in the regular season may end up determining an important home court advantage once the Finals come around.

Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Thunder (2-game winning streak)
107.5 Offensive Efficiency (1st)
100.3 Defensive Efficiency (12th)
95.9 Pace (5th)
57.2 True Shooting % (1st)
51.4 Rebound Rate (5th)

Heat (4-game winning streak)
106.6 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
96.6 Defensive Efficiency (3rd)
94.3 Pace (12th)
56.2 True Shooting % (2nd)
51.2 Rebound Rate (7th)

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat will play for the first time this season in what is most likely going to be a preview of this year’s NBA Finals.

The Thunder are currently the number one seed in the West with the Heat slotted as the two-seed in the East behind only Chicago. Both teams are also near the top of nearly every efficiency category.

They are the two best offensive teams in the NBA and when you have six of the best individual scorers it’s not hard to see why. Both teams boast a Big Three that is averaging right around 70 points per game.

Both teams are thus very similar in their makeup with Miami probably holding the edge in experience.

The Heat hold a significant edge over the Thunder in getting offense from spot-up shooting attempts, which is where the Heat get most of their offense. This is no surprise with LeBron James being one of the top passers in the NBA and the Heat roster surrounding him with a ton of spot-up guys.

The Thunder rely mostly on isolation and pick-and-roll opportunities. This basically means that the defense knows what’s coming but the Thunder are so talented it doesn’t matter. The Heat can match their talent tonight so we’ll see if the Thunder are able to get the same scoring looks as usual.

The Heat also go into the post a lot more than the Thunder and they do it with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. James and Wade are the two most efficient post scorers in the NBA this season.

Kevin Durant and James will likely be guarding each other all game long. I think both give each other trouble on defense. James holds a big weight advantage over Durant and Durant is so long and underrated on defense that he can bother some of James’ looks as well.

The Thunder have a cast of bigs they can throw at Bosh but Bosh does most of his damage on pick-and-pops. Expect Serge Ibaka to not defend well enough on Bosh and for Nick Collison to be called upon for a lot of minutes.

Russell Westbrook won’t always be matched up on Wade but will from time to time, especially if the Thunder go small with Derek Fisher on the floor. It is amazing how much bigger Wade is than Westbrook and Wade will go to the post if this matchup occurs and likely abuse Westbrook.

Westbrook will be on offense however the toughest cover for Miami. Mario Chalmers and Wade are good defenders but Westbrook will be able to get looks all night. He’s been hitting his pull-up jumper lately and will need to be on with that shot tonight for the Thunder to win.

Both teams play a lot of up-tempo ball but in this matchup it may turn into more of a half court setting. Both teams will surely be up for the game so expect defensive intensity to appear playoff-like.

At home the Thunder should have a slight edge over the Heat but it is their toughest matchup. If they’re making the open jump shots they should get, then they can win. Otherwise, Miami may be walking out of Chesapeake Arena with the victory tonight.

Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder have had their best start to the season this year since the Kevin Durant-era began. Oklahoma City has the best record in the West and tied for best in the league with Miami at 27-7 this year.

But the Thunder are far from perfect. There are many questions that need to be asked and answered about this team.

The staff at Thunderous Intentions is here to answer these questions for you. Below are the 10 most pressing questions about the Thunder this season and our responses:

What is Oklahoma City’s biggest weakness?

Andrew Kennedy: Post offense. I don’t see it as much of a weakness but rather that they just don’t do it enough. Durant is great in the post but just doesn’t go down their enough. Posting Durant and Westbrook needs to be a staple of the Thunder’s crunch time offense if they’re going to win a title.

Cody Brees: Turnovers. Offensive rebounding isn’t a good area either, mostly because the Thunder like to get out and run and Ibaka tries to flatten every ball that is shot in the paint. If the Thunder can at least limit their live ball turnovers that should give them a better chance to set up the defense being the playoffs become a much more half court game.

Blake Potash: The offensive post play is by far the Thunder’s weakest point. They can’t score in the paint against teams with two above-average big men. Kendrick Perkins is not the player he once was, and Serge Ibaka is still young, and developing post moves.

Are the Thunder going to have the same problems in the playoffs this year as they did last year?

AK: I don’t think so. I’m not as worried about the turnovers this year and definitely not as worried about Westbrook. I think the criticism he got for not getting the ball to Durant was too harsh and untrue. The OKC offense was very stagnant last postseason and has since improved. Durant and Westbrook are great friends too so I don’t think they will have any issues sharing the ball even in crunch time.

CB: Depends on the match up. If the Thunder play the Lakers and Westbrook has to watch Durant try to get Metta World Peace off him for 15 seconds before blowing by Derek Fisher, then yes. Durant has been a lot better at getting to his spots inside the arc which should help him get more shots. But I could see a stronger physical defender still giving Durant a lot of problems come playoff time.

BP: It looks like the ball movement has improved a bit this year, but the offense still seems rather one-dimensional. Still, that one dimension is very good, and can get the Thunder to the NBA Finals, depending on matchups. Westbrook needs to be more of a point guard than a scorer to be more successful when the playoffs come around.

Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

How much does Oklahoma City miss Eric Maynor?

AK: They miss him a lot. If Maynor never got injured than this Oklahoma City team may have won a few more games already and definitely more this season. There are a lot of games now where Westbrook has to come back very quickly after coming out of the game because Reggie Jackson isn’t Eric Maynor. Maynor was one of the best backup points in the league and the only actual point guard on the Thunder roster. If not for James Harden’s emergence as the second unit playmaker this injury could have been drastic for OKC.

CB: About as much as LeBron misses his hairline. I wrote an article earlier about the struggles of rookie point guard Reggie Jackson and how the Thunder miss Maynor, and unfortunately Jackson hasn’t improved too much. The one diamond in the rough is that this might prevent a team from throwing Mike Conley money at Maynor next year when he’s a restricted free agent.

BP: Eric Maynor was a key part of the bench unit with James Harden, giving the Thunder two options off the bench. Since his injury, the non-Harden bench has been failing to make impacts on games, and Harden has had to dominate the ball when Durant and Westbrook aren’t on the floor. Maynor’s absence may not be the reason the Thunder don’t win the Finals, but he sure is missed.

What would be the best addition the Thunder could make?

AK: The Thunder need to figure out their fifth guy for crunch time. Durant-Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka is great but between Perkins, Cook and Sefolosha it may not be enough to win a title. A better spot-up shooter than Cook or athletic slasher of some sort would be great for this team.

CB: Probably Eric Maynor. Once the playoffs start teams won’t be forces to go to their bench so much with actual days off between games. I still wouldn’t mind a 1-2 combo guard off the bench that can shoot. Mostly because Jackson and Ivey have been terrible.

BP: If the Thunder could make a move to get Pau Gasol, their Finals hopes would become a lot more realistic. I doubt they would want to move Ibaka and/or Harden, so all the Thunder can do is try and get a power forward or center that can give them some depth and scoring in the paint. I can’t see the Thunder making any trades though.

Are Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook the most lethal one-two punch in the NBA?

AK: Yes because they complement each other better than LeBron and Wade. LeBron and Wade basically do the same thing as each other. Durant and Westbrook are a little different. Are they as talented overall as LeBron and Wade? Maybe not yet. But I wouldn’t take any other duo in the league right now moving forward.

CB: I would say yes based on the variety of ways those two can score. They can both get to the rim, shoot a lot of free throws, have a good mid range game and can hit you from deep. The other key reason is LeBron and Wade are shooting 35 percent and 33 percent respectively from the field this year in clutch situations. Thunder in the clutch? Durant is shooting at 43 percent and Westbrook an even greater 50 percent.

BP: In a few years this may be the case, but LeBron and Wade are by far the best one-two punch in the NBA. Westbrook still needs to learn how to work well with Durant during clutch moments. The shot distribution is a little off of what it needs to be to make this a very efficient combo.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Do the Thunder have enough scoring options to win a title?

AK: Yes. I wrote earlier last week how the scrutiny about this was a little harsh. They definitely have enough scoring prowess the only issue is if they can score in as many different ways as may be necessary to win a title this year.

CB: Options? Yes. Balance is what I am not sure about. If you watched the finals last year in clutch time it was give the ball to Dirk and get out of the way. Same should be for Durant this year. The problem might be getting to clutch time without running Durant into the ground. The Thunder are going to need about 50 points a game from Ibaka, Cook, and the bench if they want to be an elite offensive team.

BP: Yes, and no. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden can all put up plenty of points, and take control of the game. That can work getting to the Finals, but if they want to win it, Ibaka will need to show a little more offensive prowess.

What needs to happen for Kevin Durant to win the MVP?

AK: If the Heat slip up some and the Thunder finish with the best record in the NBA then Durant has a chance. It’ll be just like Derrick Rose winning last year. Durant has been on the rise in terms of scoring of late too. If he finishes the year averaging 30 a game then he’ll have to average around 33 a night in the second half of the season. That will be impressive and won’t go unnoticed.

CB: LeBron gets hit by a bus.

BP: LeBron James needs to get hurt, or forget how to play basketball. Surprisingly under the radar, LeBron is having one of the best seasons the NBA has ever seen. It doesn’t look like he is going to slow down any, and unless voters penalize him for being on the same team as Dwyane Wade, LeBron is going to win this year’s MVP.

Who is the team to beat in the Western Conference?

AK: The Thunder are and only because Dallas isn’t the same team as last year. People forget how close this Thunder team was to making it to the Finals last year. They have the best record in the conference and deserved to be recognized as the best team in it.

CB: The Thunder, but not by much. If you made me bet I would still take the field, but the improvements that KD and Russ have made this year with scoring efficiency should really make the difference down the stretch.

BP: The Thunder. With the best current record in the West, the Thunder have control of the conference, and are the front-runners to make the Finals at the moment. Durant and Westbrook can both take over games, and are impossible matchups for the other contenders.

Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Which team in the Western Conference would be the worst playoff matchup for the Thunder?

AK: Portland. There would be nothing worse for Oklahoma City than having to play Portland in round one. They are such a physical team on defense and when healthy have a lot of tools that give the Thunder fits.

CB: Portland scares me the most. Perkins doesn’t do much since Camby won’t shoot much. Ibaka has problems guarding power forward’s with range. Gerald Wallace is the type of big, strong, athletic defender that could give Durant problems.

BP: The Los Angeles Lakers. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are tough matchups for Ibaka and Perkins, on both ends of the floor. The Thunder big men would struggle to score, and they would have to rely and Durant, Westbrook, and Harden to carry them through the series. Fortunately, the Lakers don’t have a very strong defensive backcourt, and Harden played a great defensive game against Kobe in their last meeting. The Thunder would still be the favorite, but you can never count out Kobe Bryant in the playoffs.

How far will the Thunder go in the playoffs this year?

AK: I think they make it to the NBA Finals. After that it depends who they play if they win or not. I think the Thunder can beat Chicago in a 7-game series but I’m not sure about Miami yet. If I had to pick one team to win the title right now I’d pick Oklahoma City based on the fact that I think they have the best chance of any team in the league simply to make it to the Finals.

CB: As far and Durant and Westbrook take them. Sorry for the cliché answer but it’s the truth. If they are both on their A game the Thunder are unbeatable. Miami appears to be the biggest hurdle right now, but a lot can change before the trade deadline.

BP: The Thunder will make the NBA Finals and lose to the Heat/Bulls. They are just one piece away from taking that next step, but for now, they don’t match up well with either team that will come out of the east. The Thunder won’t fare well against these elite defenses, and don’t have the defense themselves to slow down Rose or LeBron-Wade.

Kevin Durant has had the best season of his career so far. He’s not scoring as much as he ever has but he’s been the most efficient and his team is the best it’s ever been.

Is Durant the frontrunner for the MVP award this season?

Durant won the All-Star Game MVP last Sunday night scoring 36 points as the West outshined the East 152-149. Durant’s closest competition in winning the All-Star Game MVP is also his competition when it comes to winning the regular season MVP: LeBron James.

James is also having the best season of his career in terms of efficiency. James is shooting .547 percent from the field and averaging 27.4 points per game. Durant is shooting .513 percent and averaging 27.9 points per game.

James has the overall edge in PER with a 32.4 rating while Durant is at 27.7. James’ 6.8 assists per game compared to just 3.4 for Durant is one of the reasons for this. Both are averaging 8.1 rebounds per game.

Here are their scoring stats when it comes to point per possession:

Below is how often they shoot in each situation:

James has just a narrow edge here. From these numbers when you take a closer look at their offensive efficiency, James is benefitting a lot from Miami’s new emphasis on scoring in transition this year.

James also gets more baskets off cuts and in the post. This is because James has better passers around him and Miami’s offensive sets are better than Oklahoma City’s, which rely more on isolation.

The point being from all of this is James’ edge over Durant in terms of efficiency isn’t because he’s more skilled offensively but rather the situation that he is in. The fact that Durant is shooting almost 52 percent from the field this season should be considered just as impressive as James’ shooting numbers.

As far as team success goes, the Thunder and Heat each have a record of 27-7, the best in the NBA.

James’ overall numbers are simply better but a case can still be made for Durant. Durant does not have Dwyane Wade so defenses lock in more on him. Russell Westbrook is great but is a point guard so defenses are still able to shift more of their attention on Durant.

Last year Durant was assisted on 62 percent of his buckets and the notion was that he needed to rely on playmaking from his teammates to be such an efficient scorer. But this year he is only being assisted on 45 percent of his buckets, a huge drop off, and is more efficient than ever.

Up to this point in the season James should be the MVP. But there are scenarios that could unfold that would make Durant be the rightful MVP. Obviously if the Thunder finish with a couple more wins than Miami and if Durant narrows the gap in the PER department, he will close in on James.

It won’t take that much either. James winning the MVP would be the same story we’ve seen before. Durant winning is a new story like Derrick Rose last season. Those new stories will tend to count for more than just individual performance.

The Thunder and Heat have yet to play each other this year and will meet first on March 25 then again on April 4. The way the two play head-to-head will also weigh heavily on who takes home the hardware this year.