I think the question of who we play in the Finals is similar to the same question we were asking up to the last day of the regular season: who do we play in the first round? The team to whom we are clearly superior and would have an advantage over (though obviously no guarantee to win) or the team with a thousand storylines abounding, and a better chance to beat the Thunder.

That being said, I'll take the narrative. I wanted the Mavericks so we could expel the demons, so we could move on knowing that our team was that much better than the year before. Then the Lakers, who forever have been the icon of the West, the most recognizable team in the NBA, who we've slowly caught up to, but that loss in 2010 still stung. They still claimed to be better, and we set that to rest and we seem to have truly ended their rule, and pried away their iconoclastic status. Then came the Spurs, who sneaked up to take first place, and home court. There was the winning streak, the coaching, the system, and the history. Historically, the Spurs haven't "given us trouble" or "pestered us". They have dominated us. Up until an unprecedented four game winning streak, they had our number each and every time on the court.

And now we stand, with two options. Behind the first door, what seems to be the easy way out. The matchups are in our favor, and a loss would be disappointing. But this year, and really this franchise, has been about growth. These playoffs have furthered that. Not just 10 of the last 13 champions, but the three teams who have been in charge of half of the NBA for over a decade. Royce pointed it out: it's time. It's no longer "when they get there", we're staring a potential dynasty in the face. It's first page will be written over the next 4-7 games. Give me the team that has been our mirror image as much as our opposite. The frightening athleticism teasing at the unlimited potential. But they have been the villain of the NBA, and we stand ready to take them down. They are the biggest obstacle to our future, and after banishing the past, I only hope we can step over them to reach our destiny.