The 2016 NBA Playoffs are upon us and it's time to make our picks. My pick for this years championship is.. The Oklahoma City Thunder. That's right, I'm not picking the Warriors or the Cavs or even the Spurs because I believe OKC will beat all those teams on their way to winning the NBA Championship.
I choose the Thunder because they are just too talented and I feel like this is their year. Over the past few years they've been plagued with injuries during the playoffs to one of their two main stairs at a time. Of course, anything could go wrong and they don't mesh well or get injured or worse, end up choking, but if neither happens, they will go all the way.
Now, you may be asking: even over the Golden State Warriors? Yes! GSW are a GREAT team.. and an all time great team at that (they just set the record for most wins in a regular season), but I think the size and athleticism of OKC, combined with their skill level and the fact that they have two superstars will be too much for GSW in the end.
For this to happen however, there are two x-factors: Russell Westbrook and Dion Waiters. They are both brain cramp players who make HORRIBLE decisions far too often for their team to go all the way. The mere fact that OKC is this good (3rd seed in the West) is a testament to just how supremely talented this bunch is. But Westbrook is a little more of an x-factor than Waiters because he's going to need to channel his inner UCLA defense that earned him Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2008 in order to will the Thunder to the top. Far too often does he gamble and cause break downs in his team's defense - this cannot happen against a elite teams like Golden State, Cleveland and San Antonio. He also needs to eliminate 3 pointers from his game completely. He takes far too many for someone who shoots such a low percentage.
Are these two things really too much to ask? Because that what coach Billy Donovan should be preaching. And if the Thunder (Westbrook especially), just do the above, they should go all the way.
What do you guys think? Makes sense or no?
I choose the Thunder because they are just too talented and I feel like this is their year. Over the past few years they've been plagued with injuries during the playoffs to one of their two main stairs at a time. Of course, anything could go wrong and they don't mesh well or get injured or worse, end up choking, but if neither happens, they will go all the way.
Now, you may be asking: even over the Golden State Warriors? Yes! GSW are a GREAT team.. and an all time great team at that (they just set the record for most wins in a regular season), but I think the size and athleticism of OKC, combined with their skill level and the fact that they have two superstars will be too much for GSW in the end.
For this to happen however, there are two x-factors: Russell Westbrook and Dion Waiters. They are both brain cramp players who make HORRIBLE decisions far too often for their team to go all the way. The mere fact that OKC is this good (3rd seed in the West) is a testament to just how supremely talented this bunch is. But Westbrook is a little more of an x-factor than Waiters because he's going to need to channel his inner UCLA defense that earned him Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2008 in order to will the Thunder to the top. Far too often does he gamble and cause break downs in his team's defense - this cannot happen against a elite teams like Golden State, Cleveland and San Antonio. He also needs to eliminate 3 pointers from his game completely. He takes far too many for someone who shoots such a low percentage.
Are these two things really too much to ask? Because that what coach Billy Donovan should be preaching. And if the Thunder (Westbrook especially), just do the above, they should go all the way.
What do you guys think? Makes sense or no?