Western Conference Finals Preview

With the Eastern Conference Finals in full blow, we take our tour down to Dallas, where tomorrow will be the start of the Western Conference Finals between #3 Dallas Mavericks and #4 Oklahoma City Thunder.

Center: Tyson Chandler vs. Kendrick Perkins
Contrary to popular belief, the Perkins trade helped the Thunder not because of Perkins' presence, but because of Serge Ibaka's new role in the offense and defense. I am not taking anything away from Perkins because it was a great trade for the Thunder. It is a great trade for different reasons. Both Chandler and Perkins are defensive and rebounding specialists. Both are very good on the offensive and defensive glass, but they are also limited offensively. Chandler has the athletic edge, but Perkins has the strength. Advantage: Draw

Power Forward: Dirk Nowitzki vs. Serge Ibaka
Ibaka has been a revelation. He has good range on his jump shot, can rebound very well on both sides of the floor, and is a blocking machine. Unfortunately, he has to line up across from the best power forward in the game right now (arguably). Nowitzki has been a nightmare to guard, and though Ibaka will need help, Nowitzki can beat most players. He has a soft touch from the outside, is very difficult to guard in the high pick and roll, and commands too much attention to be left even the slightest bit open. Advantage: Dallas

Small Forward: Shawn Marion vs. Kevin Durant
Marion used to be a feared double-double threat. He is a good defender that can run in transition. But he has yet to cover as dynamic of a scorer as Durant. Durant has one of the sweetest touches from the outside, and he is strong enough and fast enough to burn you on the inside. He does have some holes defensively, but the Thunder run a fast game, which is something where a hot jump shooter like Durant excels. He is good on the glass, and knows when and how to make the extra pass. If only he took the most shots in each game, then the Thunder would be a menace. Advantage: Oklahoma City

Shooting Guard: DeShawn Stevenson vs. Thabo Sefolosha
Granted, the starters aren't nearly as interesting as their respective bench players (Jason Terry and James Harden), but it will be an interesting lineup nonetheless. Stevenson is a shooter with defense. Sefolosha is a hard-nosed defender with some comparable speed. This position will not determine who wins the series, and it really is the most boring and uninteresting position in the starting lineup. Advantage: Draw

Point Guard: Jason Kidd vs. Russell Westbrook
General knowledge says that Westbrook has the advantage here. But I'm going to go against the grain on my choice here. I believe that though Westbrook is faster and a better scorer than Kidd, I think that Kidd will overall have an advantage. Kidd is a good defender (if you doubt that, look at what he did against Kobe Bryant), and will force Westbrook to take shots that he will (but shouldn't) take. Westbrook is too trigger happy with his jumper, especially considering his options on offense. Will Kidd have a difficult time guarding Westbrook? Yes, he will. But Kidd is wily, and with options like Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Peja Stojakovic on his team, he will be even more deadly as a distributor. Advantage: Dallas

Bench:
The Dallas bench and Oklahoma City bench are both stacked. On the Mavs, you have great scorers like Stojakovic and 2009 Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry. But, you face a similar problem with the Thunder who have shooters like James Harden and Daequan Cook. On the Mavs, you have a good defender and speedy point guard with J.J. Barea. But on the Thunder, you have an able distributor with a nice touch from beyond the arc with Eric Maynor. The Mavs have a good back up center with Brendan Haywood, but the Thunder counter that with another veteran in Nazr Mohammed. The real wild card is Nick Collison, who will likely have the challenge of guarding Nowitzki. But, these teams have evenly matched benches that are very productive. Advantage: Draw

Coach: Rick Carlisle vs. Scott Brooks
Carlisle has the experience, having been in the conference finals twice. Neither team has truly exceptional offensive or defensive schemes. Experience wins over in this scenario. Advantage: Dallas

Intangibles:
No one is playing as good as Nowitzki (arguably). But Durant can turn it up on any given night. But the Thunder are going to be tired from their last bruising series against the Grizzlies. The Thunder are also under a lot more scrutiny (it seems) compared to the Mavs. Advantage: Dallas

Prediction:
The Thunder have looked unstoppable at times, but they also have horrendous lows. Dallas has been extremely consistent, especially in their spanking of the LA Lakers. Expect them to ride Nowitzki to the NBA Finals. I predict that the Mavericks win this series in 6 and advance to the NBA Finals.