The Western Conference Finals are under way and after their victory in Game 1, the San Antonio Spurs are looking to further exploit Serge Ibaka’s absence from OKC’s lineup. The Thunder on the other hand will continue trying to fully exploit Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in order to have a chance to win this series. Let’s break down this matchup position by position and try to pinpoint which team has the edge.
Thunder – Spurs
Point guard
This is a titanic battle between two of the best point guards in the league. Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook will fight chest to chest all series long to give the advantage to their team. Westbrook is more athletic and explosive by Parker but the Frenchman veteran has a higher basketball IQ and he is a better all around player. The race between the two is really tight and this could be a draw. However, I believe that Parker stands out, even by a bit, thanks to his consistency and his ability to make everyone around him better. Westbrook might still be a better scorer and a stronger finisher, but when it comes to the playoffs and those moments when the ball is really heavy, I think that Parker will make the difference.
Shooting guard
The matchup between Danny Green and Thabo Sefolosha could be a key one in the series. The Thunder will need to find some other scoring options than Durant and Westbrook to win the series, now that Ibaka is gone. On the other hand, Danny Green has proven that he can be a game changer if he starts knocking down threes. Green is also a great defender and he wins the race against Sefolosha at the shooting guard spot.
Small forward
There is no question about the winner of this matchup. The MVP of the regular season, Kevin Durant is the obvious winner against Kawhi Leonard. Durant does it all for OKC and he will have to continue doing so if the Thunder want to have a chance against the poised Spurs’ group. However, Kawhi Leonard showcased his potential throughout the season and also during the playoffs and he proved that he can be big factor in the series. So, yes, count in KD as the winner in this matchup but don’t underestimate Leonard.
Power forward
If Serge Ibaka wasn’t injured, the Thunder would have a great chance to win the matchup at the power forward spot. However, now, Tim Duncan has a significant upside against Nick Collison, one that he is expected to exploit at a big scale.
Center
Kendrick Perkins and Tiago Splitter are two players who can be factors for their respective teams. Splitter plays tough defense but so does Perkins, who in some cases is assigned with the task of guarding Duncan. If Perkins manages to do a good job against Duncan, he can have a great essence to the Thunder. But in overall, Tiago Splitter holds the slight advantage in this matchup.
Thank you for reading. Ron Leyba is the lead editor of Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues, and a LastWordOnSports NBA Analyst. For more of his articles, follow his updates at Google+ or follow him on Twitter – @ronniedare. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and “liking” our Facebook page.
Main Photo D. Clarke Evans/Getty Images
