It's looks like the playoffs are upon us and the first round could actually be interesting. In one corner we have the newcomers with the soon to be NBA scoring champ leading them. In the other, we have the defending NBA world champions with none other than the greatest basketball player in the game leading them. Some might think that since the Thunder have such a young team, the chances of them winning are near to impossible. But let's look at the Lakers over the past few weeks. Kobe Bryant (greatest player in the NBA) is still bothered by his broken finger along with a slew of other problems (knee, back, the list goes on). With Andrew Bynum injured and definitely not in playoff form yet, the Lakers must rely upon Gasol and Odom to step up their game. The Lakers' bench play has been weak to nonexistent most nights.
The Thunder on the other hand are very well rounded although weak in the interior. They can shoot very well along with Russell Westbrook being a tough guard to cover. His penetration will be key against the Lakers, setting up Kristic or any Collison with easy shots. It'll also allow for Durant to possibly free himself up. However the Thunder have a daunting task ahead of them. Only eight seed has ever knocked off a number one *cough* *cough* Mavs suck *cough* *cough*. Durant must have 25+ point games each night in order for the Thunder to win. Westbrook and Green should also have at least 15+ point games themselves. Durant is clearly one of the top 3 players in the NBA at this moment and will be the cornerstone of the Thunder team for years to come. Ever since his days at Texas, he has been ready for the big stage. He can make the big shot and take over games with his silky smooth shot. "Durantula" is a forced to be reckoned with and this is his chance to show the world what he's made of.
With the Lakers' home court advantage and their length and size, they should be able to make quick work of the Thunder. With Kobe resting until the playoffs, he should be feeling better once the series begins. Gasol is pretty much unguardable by any of the Thunder bigs and should dominate against this team. If Bynum makes it back, it'll be tough for the Thunder to get those inside buckets. His mere presence as a blocking threat alters the game plan. If the Lakers don't get lazy and become complacent such as last year during the Rockets series, they should win this 4 games to 1.
Even though I think Durant is one of the best players in the NBA, it'll be darn tough to take down the behemoth that is the Lakers. I'll leave you with a video to help you ponder the victor.
