After weeks of NBA play, where there was a rash of injuries (Derrick Rose, Chris Bosh, Iman Shumpert), come-from-behind victories, overachieving teams (76ers, Pacers, Celtics),and three Game 7’s (Clippers vs. Grizzlies, Celtics vs. 76ers, Heat vs. Celtics), and then there were two. (Cue Bruce Buffer) It’s time! The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder will clash in a star-studded affair in what should prove to be an instant classic.
The Heat, after sustaining multiple knock-down blows, are like old school boxers who don’t know how to quit. They continue to walk through the punches. The Heat are as battle tested as they come, storming back from down 2-1 vs. the Indiana Pacers and 3-2 against the Boston Celtics (including trailing by seven points at halftime in Game 7), much without their third star, Chris Bosh. The Heat are a far cry from the eight championships LeBron promised, but making their second consecutive finals appearance is a nice start. With Bosh back from an abdominal injury and looking back in form, scoring 19 points on 8 of 10 shooting, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc against the Celtics in Game 7. With a healthy Big Three, (or two and a half men, whichever you prefer) the Heat look to meet their hype and get LeBron his much desired first ring.
The Thunder, while boasting a Big Three of its own, had a completely different playoff picture than the Heat. Sure, some people predicted the Thunder to win, but most of the general public didn’t even see them making it out of the West (props to Mikey for correctly predicting the NBA finals). People said they’re too young, too inexperienced, that Westbrook and Durant couldn’t coexist…well they were wrong, actually we were all wrong. Durant has hit countless game-winners and buzzer beaters, Westbrook has cut down his turnovers (3.6 to 2.3 per game), and the team has a knack for come-from-behind wins, including coming back from down 2-0 against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals (only the third time in conference finals history). The Thunder came out on top against the title favorite Spurs, who saw their 20-game win streak come to an end. San Antonio’s veteran play and savvy system failed to overcome the fiery youth of Oklahoma City. The Thunder enter the NBA finals on a four-game win streak and will have home-court advantage. Not a recipe for success for the Heat.
If you love the NBA or sports at all, you better have plans to sit on your tuchus in front of your television on Tuesday night. Thunder-Heat is one of the most star-studded NBA finals in history. The series will pit LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh vs. Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook-James Harden. That’s 28 All-Star selections between them. This will be the fifth NBA finals ever where the regular season MVP (LeBron James) faces off against the regular season scoring champion (Kevin Durant). And what’s even better is the two will be going mano-a-mano, facing off against each other on both ends of the floor. It’s the ultimate good guy vs. bad guy, superhero vs. villain matchup. The Heat, who are constantly in the media, play in a big city and are despised by nearly everyone, matchup vs. the Thunder, who play in a small town, shy from the media and have a fan base that spreads across the entire nation (I’m talking to you bandwagon fans). With the script from Hollywood set, it’s now time for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat to take center stage.
And with that, here’s my Mock Draft 2.0, including the Most Improved and Most Hurt players since my last mock.
1. New Orleans Hornets- Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky- --
2. Charlotte Bobcats- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky- --
3. Washington Wizards- Bradley Beal, SG, Florida- --
4. Cleveland Cavaliers- Harrison Barnes, SF, North Carolina- --
5. Sacramento Kings- Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas- --
6. Portland Trailblazers- Damian Lillard, PG/SG, Weber State- Up 2
7. Golden State Warriors- Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut- Down 1
8. Toronto Raptors- Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse- Up 9
9. Detroit Pistons- Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina- --
10. New Orleans Hornets- Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State- Up 2
11. Portland Trailblazers- Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois- Up 8
12. Milwaukee Bucks- Perry Jones III, SF/PF, Baylor- Down 5
13. Phoenix Suns- Austin Rivers, PG/SG, Duke- Down 3
14. Houston Rockets- Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut- --
15. Philadelphia 76ers- Terrence Ross, SG, Washington- Up 3
16. Houston Rockets- Terrence Jones, SF/PF, Kentucky- --
17. Dallas Mavericks- Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina- --
18. Minnesota Timberwolves- Royce White, SF/PF, Iowa State- Up 4
19. Orlando Magic- Arnett Moultrie, PF, Mississippi State- Down 4
20. Denver Nuggets- Moe Harkless, SF, St. John’s- --
21. Boston Celtics- John Henson, PF, North Carolina- --
22. Boston Celtics- Quincy Miller, SF/PF, Baylor- Up 1
23. Atlanta Hawks- Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure- Up 5
24. Cleveland Cavaliers- Fab Melo, C, Syracuse- Up 3
25. Memphis Grizzlies- Evan Fournier, SG, France- --
26. Indiana Pacers- Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky- --
27. Miami Heat- Draymond Green, SF/PF, Michigan State- Down 3
28. Oklahoma City Thunder- Jeffery Taylor, SF, Vanderbilt- Up 2
29. Chicago Bulls- John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt- --
30. Golden State Warriors-Tony Wroten Jr., PG/SG, Washington- Down 17
Most Improved Stock- Dion Waiters, Up 9
According to multiple sources, Waiters sat out the NBA combine and plans to cancel all of his future workouts because he has a promise from a team, likely in the lottery. It seems like teams are beginning to warm up to Waiters's potential with his aggressive slashing, athleticism and ability to play the point in a pinch. The Trailblazers, Raptors, Hornets and Suns are all suspects.
Most Hurt Stock- Tony Wroten Jr., Down 17
Wroten’s drop isn’t due to teams finding out a new weakness, but realizing that his main weakness may be even worse than previously imagined. According to Jonathan Wasserman of nbadraft.net, Wroten didn’t make a single three-pointer in the three-point shooting drill at the combine. Also, Jay Williams pointed out that Wroten shot 3-24 in spot-up opportunities last season. I feel that teams will look for more of a sure thing and someone with more of an established position with their pick, which could lead to a slide for Wroten.
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