NBA Playoffs: LeBron Will Advance and Durant and OKC Will Win the Championship

LeBron James showed us greatness last night. With big plays, 45 points on 76 percent shooting and 14 rebounds, he was hands down the best player we've seen on the court in the playoffs since...I hate making those comparisons. Sure, you could scrutinize his five assists, but other than that he was freakishly good. 

The Miami Heat lost only five games at home during the regular season this year leading us to believe that their chances are good in Game 7 going back to South Beach. Still, Prince James (I refuse to call him King) only improved to 3-6 in elimination games last night, and the Celtics have proven that they can win at AmericanAirlines Arena. Why, then, would I say that LeBron will advance to the finals?

The Celtics organization has done a great job of locating key youthful role players to supplement the age of the original Big Three. Rajon Rondo (although he's been with Boston longer than Garnett and Allen) has proven to be one of, if not the best, point guard in the league. Brandon Bass and Mickael Pietrus have been vital to the Celtics' success. Still one fact remains—they have no answer for James. 

So, what happens when James and the other players on the Heat advance to face up against Durant and OKC? When Miami's Big Three got together, I thought we were going to see a transition in the NBA to a league without the need for a prolific point guard. I was wrong. The Celtics (led by Doc Rivers) have done a great job of exposing the weakness in such a system by winning in transition. Without a solid point guard, teams like the Heat (and my New York Knicks) seem to struggle in transition. If the Heat struggle in transition against the aging Celtics, what's going to happen against the youthful and energetic Thunder? 

The Thunder do not have Rajon Rondo, but they do have Russell Westbrook and James Harden in their backcourt. Kevin Durant, at 6'9'', is almost unguardable as one of those rare, tall but agile and quick players with a knack for hitting a three on the wing. Who is going to cover him? The Thunder do not have an answer for James, but nobody does. He's the best player in the league. But the Thunder are the younger, more multi-faceted team. I pick the Thunder in seven games and predict the beginning of a new era in the NBA—an era of new dynasties that do not include the cities of Boston or Hollywood. 

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1213865-labron-will-advance-and-durant-and-okc-will-win-the-championship

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