This NBA finals season has been one of the most exciting years in quite awhile. Playoffs are always intense, but this year seems to be different. The Western Conference is a great example for that. In one series we saw a veteran sweep a bunch of new, exciting players and in the other we saw the “King” be dethroned by his successor.
The Lakers-Thunder series was definitely my favorite by far. It had all the drama that you would expect with an aging Lakers team and all the excitement of a young and very athletic team. Kobe dominated Game 5, however, it might have been his fault for Games 2 and 4. Did the veteran leader take responsibility? Not quite. He pointed his finger at every other player he possibly could, except of course Metta World Peace because I think Bryant is a little too scared to get him angry. This postseason has left many Lakers fans puzzled. Will Pau Gasol stay? Most likely not. I have never been a huge Gasol fan and this is why. He could be much more dominate if he wanted. There should be no reason why he did not step up this series and have 20-20 games. This is the same with Andrew Bynum. He should have exploded, but he looked like a match waiting to be lit. OKC is without a doubt a better team and played like one. The tension on the Lakers is obvious. No one really seems to like each other and it shows. The front office has some serious moves to make because they will never be able to compete again with teams like OKC in their way.
Now onto the most underrated team in the league. They are not showy. They do not do high flying dunks. They just play incredible fundamental basketball with impressive ball movement. The San Antonio Spurs. They took care of business in both rounds, only playing eight games and never losing one. In fact, this team has not lost in months. This team has continued to impress yet do not get the press they deserve. It certainly does not seem to bother the veterans who are playing almost as well as they did a decade ago when they were an unbeatable team. I do think OKC will give them trouble and this series will not end as quickly. I am going to stick with my original prediction and pick the Spurs to take the whole thing. OKC might be younger and way more athletic, but down the line it is more about playing better basketball and I think that goes to San Antonio.
