The Conference Finals are underway, and while the East has a head start (Bulls lead 1-0), the West gets started tonight in Dallas. The Thunder have been fortunate to start the first two rounds at home, but this series offers a new test of not handing the Thunder home court advantage. It is the next great test to see how OKC is growing up.
Who Will Win This Tortoise vs Hare Match-up? | NewsOK
Tramel examines the contrasting styles between the Thunder and the Mavericks. It actually underscores something we may have missed - the Thunder have gotten much better in transition as the season has gone on, and we saw the fruits of it against Memphis.
Playing With House Money | Daily Thunder
Young breaks down the series here. He rightly points out that the entire series might turn on the bench play, because both OKC and Dallas feature two of the leagues' best.
The Official Mavericks vs Thunder Preview | Two Man Game
The great Rob Mahoney, who writes just about everywhere, reveals his true blue colors in his official breakdown of the Western Conference Finals.
Breaking Down the Thunder | Mavs Moneyball
SB Nation's Mavs blog takes an early look at what the Thunder will be bringing to Dallas. There will be much more to come from this great Mavs site.
More links after the jump.
Youth and Experience Collide | NBA.com
There is no substitute for experience, and the Mavericks have it in spades.
Mavs vs Thunder: What to Watch | Sports Illustrated
Lowe breaks down the series here. The two big match-up debates will be: who guards Kevin Durant, and who wins the guard play.
What if Harden Had Been Traded As Part of the Perkins Deal? | ProBasketballTalk
By way of a Bill Simmons podcast, this story is making its rounds in the last few days. According to Celtics announcer Sean Grande, originally the Celtics wanted James Harden, but then settled for Jeff Green. You saw what Harden just brought to the table against the Grizzlies. Let's all breath a collective sigh of relief.
Westbrook About to Get the Kobe Treatment | Dallas Morning
The Mavs will likely throw a number of different looks at Russell Westbrook, because they know that he is the one guy who is an absolute wild card.
Joakim Noah, Bulls Show True Value of Offensive Rebounds | SB Nation
SB Nation's own Tom Ziller examines how valuable Joakim Noah and his offensive rebounding truly was and is in playing the Heat.
Doc Rivers: Timing of Trade Was Off | ESPN
Celtics coach Doc Rivers talks about The Trade, and how he thinks it was more of a timing issue than a personnel issue. Gee wiz...you think so, doctor?
Is Winning the Lottery An Actual Win? | Behind the Basket
The writer here takes a look at what it has meant in recent history to "win" the lottery, and what this win actually does for a franchise.
Nick Collison - Tweet of the Day | Twitter
Where he reflects on the length of the last series.
Big Moves Will Wait for CBA | Hoopsworld
The NBA landscape might radically change when a new CBA is finally reached, and the biggest names in the league will likely wait for that new world to reveal itself before they make their career-decisions.
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