Best Memes of the 2011-12 NBA Season

When reflecting back at an NBA season, one aspect that people usually don't talk about are memes. They really aren't all that important to the game or the season itself. However, for whatever reason, memes became a huge craze in pop culture, and infiltrated basketball too. It seemed like almost every day, I would find myself checking NBA Memes on Facebook for a good laugh. In fact, I was probably more likely to check out NBA Memes at the end of the night than to look at highlights for a game. Memes are great because not only do they give us a good laugh, but because they do tell us a story of how fans viewed the NBA season and what stood out.

I don't know how long this fad of memes will last, but I thought they were important enough to this past season for me to devote a post too it. I'm going to unveil what the best memes of 2011-12 were, but this isn't going to be my opinion, but PUBLIC OPINION. Tastes and humor vary to much from person to person for me to select my own personal list of the best, so I wanted to pick a list of memes that NBA fans (or meme fans) really enjoyed.

Methodology:

My methodology for doing this had a couple steps to it. First, I went through ALL the wall photos on the NBA Memes Facebook Page, and selected ones that had more "likes" than the ones that came out during its time. Since there were more fans of NBA Memes now than their were in February, the memes that came out earlier had a lot less likes. So I had to use my own discretion to pick memes that had an unusually high number of likes than those that came out around the same time it. 

Once I had selected what I dubbed "exceptional" memes and recorded their number of "likes", I put the data into a scatter plot. The y-axis were the number of likes, and the x-axis corresponded to which memes came out first. For instance, the first meme was x=1 and the second meme was x=2. The points followed an exponential path, so I inserted an exponential line of fit and Microsoft Excel produced an equation for that line. 

Using the equation, I was able to project how many "likes" each of the exceptional memes were expected to have, based on when they came out. Using the formula (actual-expected)/expected, I was able to determine how much each meme exceeded the expected likes for an exceptional mean for its time. With that, I was able to have a ranking of the best memes!

Okay, so I'm sure no one came to this post to read this rather long explanation, so without further ado, here are the Best Memes of the 2011-12 NBA Season!

#10.

RATING: 40.4%

Poor, Chris Bosh. I saw him on Jimmy Kimmel last night, and he seems like a really nice guy. Too bad people say he looks like an ostrich or dinosaur or whatever. What I like about this meme is that it makes fun of Bosh without Bosh actually being in the picture. And by making fun of LeBron, it also compliments Bosh...

#9.

RATING: 40.5%

One of the more popular meme topics this year had to do with Luke Walton and the bench. This isn't the most unique Walton meme, but it works so well just because of Kobe Bryant's reaction. 

#8.

RATING: 41.2%

Another subject people like to make memes about? The Bobcats sucked. The best memes are the ones that take double jabs rather than one. Not only does this meme make fun of the Charlotte Bobcats, but it also laughs at High School Musical too.

#7.

RATING: 42.3%

Memes are kind of like caricatures, in that they don't necessarily show reality but rather exaggerate or show stereotypes. Kobe Bryant did average 4.6 assists a game last season, but people like to think of him as someone who doesn't pass the ball. What I like about this meme is that it SHOWS Kobe not passing, instead of saying it.

#6.

RATING: 47.6%

Here is an example of the NBA and current events mixing together. This meme makes light of a rather serious event, alluding to the notorious man-eater of Miami back at the end of May. I'm not a big fan of this one, but with over 60,000 likes, it was one of Facebook's most popular.

#5.

RATING: 58.9%

This is another example of memes not quite accurately depicting reality, as Dwyane Wade has even said that the Heat have become LeBron's team. However, the excellence from this meme comes from just how perfect the pictures are!

#4.

RATING: 84.5%

It's a little bit lengthy, but it gets the message across. LeBron James can't (now it's couldn't) win a ring. Kobe Bryant doesn't pass.

#3.

RATING: 90.2%

With over 76,000 "likes," this was the most liked meme on Facebook. The facial expressions are absolutely priceless, especially James Harden. Throw in a caption of something that really isn't all that exciting, and you've got an amazing meme. Perhaps this also makes fun of the Thunder's youth?

#2.

RATING: 111.7%

I think this meme just shows how much America dislikes Justin Bieber. I got to admit, I don't like him that much either. This meme has nothing to do with any NBA player or stereotype, but just throw in Bieber, and it's a hit!

#1.

RATING: 113.3%

I was afraid that the best meme would be the Justin Bieber one, which wouldn't be right because it's not too basketball related. However, this one barely edges Bieber out. I can say this, that NBA Memes won't be as interesting next year without all the LeBron ringless jokes. Maybe seeing all these memes is what motivated him?

Check-in for the remainder of my season review:

Part I: Looking back at my preseason predictions

Part II: Best NBA Memes

Part III: Best "Wow...Look at this!" moments

Part IV: Best NBA Teams

Part V: Best NBA Players

Looking back at my preseason predictions...

Today brings about the 2012 NBA Draft and the official welcoming of college players into the NBA. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of college basketball, so to try to make a mock draft and pretend I know what I'm talking about would be pointless. The only thing I can say is that Anthony Davis is going to be the number one pick. From what I've read, I'm going to go with Thomas Robinson second, but I'll stop right there.

In a way, the NBA Draft marks the beginning of the new season. With that said, I think it'd be nice to look back at a short, but still terrific, 2011-12 NBA season. Before every season, I make predictions for the upcoming years in way of standings, playoffs, and awards. Of course, the great thing about sports is that something unexpected happens every year that makes fans look like an idiot.

How the heck did they get that good?!?!

Credit: Jack Dempsey, AP

To start off, there were three teams that I underestimated that I probably shouldn't have. I thought the Indiana Pacers would improve, but considering how bad their record was in 2011, I didn't think they would make it to the upper echelon of the East. I pegged them to finish with a 35-31 record, which was 7 wins less than they actually accomplished. The other team I missed on was San Antonio. They had lost in the first round, they were old, and Tony Parker had even said the best days were behind them. I gave them a 4th seed and 42 wins, but as they always do, the Spurs made it to the top with a West-best 50 wins. Finally, there was the Denver Nuggets. I felt their lack of superstars, plus their loss of JR Smith and Kenyon Martin would cause them to fall to 31-35. Yet, by winning 38 games, Denver made the playoffs and George Karl had his TWENTIETH straight season without a losing record.

Now, the one team I think NO ONE expected to be good had to be the Utah Jazz. After the departure of Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan, the Jazz absolutely sucked. I expected much of the same this past season and had them tied with New Orleans with the worst conference record at 18-48. However, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap had borderline All-Star seasons and the Jazz doubled my projection.

You couldn't have done just a little bit better...?

Credit: Streeter Lecka, Getty Images

With the subtraction of Tyson Chandler, I thought Dallas would suffer a little, but I thought the acquisition of Lamar Odom would make up for that. I thought changes to the core of Dallas and age would cause them to dip a little bit to a 44-22 record, but I didn't expect them to be fighting for their playoff lives. Another team that frustrated me, and probably many others, were the New York Knicks. They ended the 2010-11 regular season strong, so I thought they were bound to get it together this year. Unlike some ESPN experts, I didn't have them winning the Atlantic (I had them a game behind Boston), but I felt they would get the 4th seed with a 42-24 record.

Every year, it seems that I pick Portland to be a dark horse contender, but they always let me down and this year was no difference. I had them at 40-26 (I actually had them with more wins in an earlier draft), but everything just seemed to go wrong for them this season. I had Golden State contending for the playoffs, but just missing at 32-34, but Stephen Curry missing over half the season had them closer to the cellar. Finally, I knew Charlotte would be bad, but did anyone think they would be that bad?

Making me look good!

Credit: Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

Of the 30 teams in the league, there were 7 teams that either had the exact record or were within one game of my projections for them. These teams were Chicago, Philadelphia*, Milwaukee*, Oklahoma City*, LA Clippers, Houston, and Sacramento*. All the ones I starred had the exact same record I projected. 

My crowning achievement, and probably everyone's crowning achievement, was having the Oklahoma City with a 47-19 and losing in the NBA Finals. The only thing I missed with them was that they didn't get the first seed.

Coming up in the clutch!

Credit: Robert Mayer, US Presswire

They say stick to your first instincts, and that's what I should have done. Prior to the season beginning, I had an NBA Finals of Miami over Oklahoma City in 6. Unfortunately, before the playoffs began, I changed it to Chicago over San Antonio. Oops. Aside from being right about the Finals, there wasn't really much else I did get right. I did have Miami beating New York in 5, but I had them matched-up in the second round and not the first. Also, I had the LA Clippers, Dallas, and Chicago all making the second round as well.

Not getting awards for my awards pick...

Credit: Mike Segar, Reuters

There were two awards that I actually did get right: LeBron James for MVP and James Harden for 6th Man of the Year. I feel like picking James for MVP is kind of the safe thing to do, so I don't really get brownie points for that. The Harden was exactly rocket science either because he's a young guy who played great after Jeff Green was traded at the end of the 2010-11 season.

For Rookie of the Year, I picked Kemba Walker. Why? I don't know. I don't really follow college basketball. Considering Dwight Howard was the 3x defending DPOY winner, I had him winning again this year, but Tyson Chandler was a worthy choice. However, I still think Howard should have won. For Coach of the Year, I pegged Frank Vogel, and though he had a great year, Gregg Popovich definitely deserved the award. Finally, I selected Serge Ibaka for Most Improved. I'm just waiting for him to become the next Dikembe...

Check-in for the remainder of my season review:

Part I: Looking back at my preseason predictions

Part II: Top NBA Memes

Part III: Top "Wow...Look at this!" moments

Part IV: Top NBA Teams

Part V: Top NBA Players

Congrats, Miami! Thoughts on the Finals!

I'm not sure where that picture above originated from, but I stole it from one of my Facebook friends and thought it was appropriate for how I was feeling throughout the championship series. While Oklahoma City is no doubt a great team and will definitely keep me in fits for several more years, I am satisfied at being able to say that the title of best team in the 2011-12 season goes to the Miami Heat! 

Aside from the not wanting to the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics to win, I have to admit that I'm also grateful for Miami winning because they redeemed me from being 0-3 in championship round predictions this year. I had the Patriots beating the Giants in the Super Bowl, and Kansas over Kentucky in the NCAA Championship game, so by listening to my head and picking Miami over OKC, I showed that I do know a thing or two about sports. 

The trends of history repeated itself in that experience did prevail. It didn't really happen in the way I expected, though. In my preview, I had written that I trusted the OKC role players a lot more than the ones for Miami, and boy, was I WRONG! Shane Battier was brilliant throughout, and Mike Miller's immaculate performance in Game 5 made sure Miami did not have to get back on the plane to  Oklahoma.

When we look at the stars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook really impressed me with their Finals play. From what I saw, I felt like those two played with the poise of veteran superstars, despite Westbrook's errant foul on Chalmbers at the end of Game 4, and despite Durant not getting enough touches in the end. Those two were simply amazing.

Still, the series belonged to the guy who solidified the opinion that he is the best player in the NBA, and that is LeBron James. James was the best player in the league in 2011, and he completely flopped against Dallas. Back to compete for his first ring for the third time in his career, James raised his game. He showed that he had learned from his past Final experiences, and now showed just how truly special he is. Heading into this series, I had considered LeBron James one of the 10 greatest players of all-time, even though he never had a ring. Now, I have absolutely no hesitation saying that he is one of the 10 greatest ever to put on an NBA uniform. James was simply too good to have gone another year without winning the title.

Finally, I want to talk about something that transcends playing the actual game itself, and that is sportsmanship. I feel that a good portion of the passion that stemmed from this Finals among fans around the country stemmed from hatred. I'm guilty of this myself. Cleveland felt betrayed by James and backed OKC, and Seattle felt betrayed by Clay Bennett and backed Miami. While the competition of sports stirs many emotions, both good and bad, it's important to remember that it's just a game. At the end of the day, it's important to carry oneself with class and grace. With that said, I share this video that I urge everyone to watch:

NBA Finals Preview: Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Credit: Richard Rowe, US Presswire

After about a month a half, we are finally down to the last two teams. Throughout my life, I've always been said to stick to my first instinct, and I definitely should have done that here. Before the season began, I predicted a Heat-Thunder Final, but before the playoffs began, I switched it to Bulls-Spurs. Oops. 

For anyone in Seattle, this is probably the worst match-up imaginable. From the East, there's the villains of the NBA; the team everybody loves to hate. Coming from the West, there's Seattle's former darlings, the team that left us in misery and is now basking in glory. Let me just say, I personally hate the Heat, but they'll have my full support going up against the Thunders.

If you've been reading my previews from past rounds, you might've noticed that I haven't quite decided on one consistent way of comparing two teams. What I've decided now is that I'm going to do a comparison of the best player at each position for both teams, followed by why each team could win the series.

POSITION COMPARISONS

Point Guard-Russell Westbrook (OKC) vs. Mario Chalmers (MIA)

Over these past two years, Westbrook has proven himself to be one of the best players in the NBA, while just this past season, Chalmers has solidified himself as a decent, but not spectacular player. There's no doubt that Oklahoma City has a big advantage here, but Chalmers could serve as an important X-Factor. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will draw a lot of attention when penetrating to the basket, leaving shooters open beyond the arc. During the postseason, Miami has never lost when Chalmers has made at least two three-pointers in a game (7-0).

Edge: OKC

Shooting Guard-James Harden (OKC) vs. Dwyane Wade (MIA)

At the 2, we have a match-up between one of the NBA's rising stars, going up against one of the best players in the league. While there's no doubt in my mind that Wade is the better player of the two, in the playoffs, it's been Harden, and not Wade, who's stepped up. Harden has come up big in the postseason, especially against the Spurs, where he shot 61% from behind the arc. On the other hand, Wade hasn't unleashed a monster game (except from Game 6 against Indiana) and has mostly been overshadowed by James, and he hasn't been shooting that efficiently either (27.6% from three, 71.4% from the stripe). Still, Harden has not had to face someone with the defensive acumen of Wade, and I expect the former Finals-MVP to step up in his third trip to the Finals.

Edge: Miami

Small Forward-Kevin Durant (OKC) vs. LeBron James (MIA)

This is probably one of the greatest Finals match-up in the history of the league. For the first time since 1997, the two best players in the league will be pitted against each other hand in the NBA Finals. Unlike 1997, though, these guys actually play the same position (Michael Jordan and Karl Malone was who I was referring too before). Not only that, but we've got two guys here we completely different reputations. In Durant, we have a clutch fan-favorite who has led the league in scoring each of the past three seasons. With James, we have a villainous three-time league MVP who has been mocked for not having won a ring yet. Both players have played spectacularly this postseason, but I've got to give the edge to James. When Durant is on, he's able to win close games for OKC, but when James is on, the games not close by the time the fourth quarter comes around. I feel that James is definitely going to step up from how he played against Dallas last year, but it'll be interesting to see exactly how much he'll step up. Durant has become the darling of the NBA this past month, but now he'll face a real challenge, going up against the best defensive small forward in the league.

Edge: Miami

Power Forward-Serge Ibaka (OKC) vs. Chris Bosh (MIA)

This is a really intriguing match-up because it pits one of the best defensive players in Ibaka and one of the most skilled big men in Bosh. I feel that people have tended to overhype Ibaka a little bit, because even though he's a great defensive player, his 10.7 points in 29.1 minutes a game this postseason isn't overly impressive (though when you have Durant, Harden, and Westbrook on your team, it is kind of hard to score), and his 5.9 rebounds is pretty underwhelming. Coming off of an injury, Bosh is kind of a question mark. Are we going to see a Bosh who is invisible playing with James and Wade, or are we going to see a Bosh that puts up 20-10 and shows us why he's been an All Star each of the past seven seasons. Here's something to note: In the playoffs, Miami is 6-1 when Bosh plays at least half the game.

Edge: Miami

Center-Kendrick Perkins (OKC) vs. Udonis Haslem (MIA)

Perkins and Haslem are both two players who are better and more important than their numbers show. They're not called on to do too much, except to play good, hard defense. However, I've been much of a Perkins fans. Besides being a big body to through on the defensive end, I've never felt he's really done much over his time with OKC. At least Haslem can rebound.

Edge: Miami

Role Players-Derek Fisher, Nick Collison, Thabo Sefolosha (OKC) vs. Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Joel Anthony (MIA)

One of the big reasons that Oklahoma City has been successful is that they've excelled at surrounding their stars with quality role players. Fisher has once again stepped up in the playoffs, Collison continues to be the guy who does the little and dirty stuff while making few mistakes, and Sefolosha is a very good defensive stopper that could be thrown at Wade. Miami has a nice group of veterans, but they don't provide the same support the OKC role players do. Shane Battier hasn't been able to make a shot the entire season, Miller can make the long balls but doesn't play defense, and Anthony... is just kind of there.

Edge: OKC

Why Miami Will Win: As I've said many times before, in a close series, and I do expect this will be a close series, the best player will usually decide the winner. LeBron James is easily the best player in this series, and I truly believe that he'll step it up this year. We've already seen how dominate the Heat can be when James alone has a big game. During the postseason, when James has scored at least 30 points and has double figures in rebounding, Miami is 8-1, and has a margin of victory of +14.2 points. Throw in satisfactory performances by Wade and Bosh, and Miami becomes nearly impossible to beat. With Bosh healthy, Miami possesses the only elite offensive post player in the series, and history tells us that that is necessary for a title. For this year, I'd rather have the Heat's Big 3 than OKC's, and that matters in a championship series that usually is dependent on stars. 

I also want to make a point of the difficulties of the teams that Miami and OKC have had to go through to get to the Finals. People make a big deal out of Oklahoma City having had to go through Dallas and Los Angeles in the first two rounds, and Miami only having to go through New York and Indiana. If we look at these teams from a statistical vantage point, then one could make the case that Indiana and New York were both better than Dallas and Los Angeles. Dallas and Los Angeles had point differentials during the regular season of +1.0 and +1.4 respectively, while New York was at +3.2 and Indiana at +3.3. Even though Miami have lost more games so far during the playoffs, they still have had a larger margin of victory +7.9, compared to Oklahoma City's +6.7

Why Oklahoma City Will Win: 

I found this meme on NBA Memes on Facebook, and it was exactly what I was thinking. Miami and Oklahoma City have each lost one more game in a round than they did the round before, so with that trend, the OKC Thunder will beat Miami 4-3! Oklahoma City just seems destined to win the NBA Championship. They're a young team who has beat the last 13 Western Conference Champions in order to make it to the NBA Finals. To be a champion, you've got to beat the champion, and they dealt with the Dallas Mavericks pretty handily. Then they had to deal with Kobe Bryant and the tremendous size of the LA Lakers, and they only dropped one to them. They followed that up by beating the San Antonio Spurs in four consecutive games, despite the fact San Antonio had previously won 20 straight. Let's also not forget that Oklahoma City has yet to lose a game at home this postseason, and they do have home-court advantage.

If these two teams are as evenly matched as I, and many others, think it is, then we'll see a lot of close games. When it comes to making killer shots in the clutch, Durant has definitely proved better at doing that than James or anyone else on the Heat. During the postseason, in the last 2 minutes of a one possession game, Durant is 6 of 10 from the field, compared to James' 3 of 7. Close series also tend to rely on the little things, and the role players. I trust Fisher, Collison, and Sefolosha to contribute more than Battier, Miller, or Anthony will. As well, I feel Scott Brooks is much more of a competent coach than Erik Spoelstra.

Conclusion: My heart tells me that Oklahoma City will win this, but my mind is leaning towards Miami. Oklahoma City just seems destined to win it all. They're a young and upcoming team who's beat teams who made up the last 13 Western Conference Champions, and Kevin Durant's clutchness and OKC's homecourt really makes me nervous. On the other hand, I like to pay attention to history. History says the best player will carry his team (LeBron James), championship teams need an offensive post player (Bosh), experienced teams prevail over young ones (Durant, Harden, and Westbrook are all 23 or younger) and defense beats offense (Miami ranked 4th in defense and OKC was 11th).

I also feel that it's important not to buy into hype too much. Last year, everyone's obsession with LeBron James and Miami caused people to overlook Dallas in the Finals. In 2008, the Lakers return to the NBA Finals made people pick them over a Celtic team that won 66 games. In the end, I expect James to have a tremendous series and to finally get his ring.

Verdict: Miami in 7

Credit: Mike Erhmann, Getty Images

2012 OKC Thunder vs. 1996 Seattle SuperSonics

To the dismay of people like me, the OKC Thunder clinched a spot in the NBA Finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs today. While I have to give them credit for playing efficient team basketball, anyone who was a die-hard Sonic fan is probably weeping on the inside. That was our team; Seattle's team.

While I don't recognize Seattle SuperSonic history as part of the Thunder franchise, I thought it would be interesting to compare this year's first NBA finalist with an NBA finalist in Sonic history. Since the Thunder aren't NBA champs yet, I didn't want to compare them to the 1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics who 33 years ago last Friday won the league title. Instead, I'll take a look at how they would match-up against the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics; the team that took the all-time winningest team in league history to 6 games.

Simple question: Who would win if the two teams played in a 7-game series? (Seattle has home-court since they had a higher winning percentage)

Point Guard: Gary Payton (SEA) vs. Russell Westbrook (OKC)
With his speed and athleticism, Westbrook is one of the hardest players to guard in the NBA. However, if there's anyone who could stop him, it's Payton, who won Defensive Player of the Year in the 1996 season (the only point guard ever to have done so), and forced Michael Jordan to 37% shooting from the field when they were matched-up in games 4-6. Westbrook probably would struggle a lot against Payton, but Payton would have his difficulties too. At 6'3, Westbrook only gives up an inch on Payton, giving "The Glove" less of an advantage in the post. As well, Westbrook is a pretty good defensive player himself. Don't expect extraordinary stats from either of the two.
Edge: Seattle

Shooting Guard: Hersey Hawkins (SEA) vs. Thabo Sefolosha (OKC)
Sefolosha is a terrific defensive player and can make the three-point shot. That would mean more if it weren't for the fact that Hawkins can do the same thing too, while scoring 15 points a game compared to Sefolosha's 5.
Edge: Seattle


Small Forward: Detlef Schrempf (SEA) vs. Kevin Durant (OKC)
As anyone who watched Game 6 of the SAS-OKC series, or as a matter of fact any game of the play-offs featuring the Thunder, Durant is very, very, very hard to guard. While Schrempf wasn't known as an extraordinary defender, I actually think he would give Durant some issues. Schrempf has the length and the versatility that could keep Durant a little more at bay, that I still think Durant would score an awful lot of points.
Edge: OKC

PF: Shawn Kemp (SEA) vs. Serge Ibaka (OKC)

The power forward match-up is a very intriguing match-up as you see two incredibly athletic big men. Kemp was one of the most explosive scorers at his position in 1996, while Ibaka is one of the best defensive players currently in the NBA. Ibaka's athleticism seemingly makes him a great player to defend against the likes of Kemp, but all may not be what it seems. In the 1996 season, Kemp shot 63% against the Denver Nuggets. What's so important about Denver? That team's defense was anchored by Dikembe Mutombo, a player very similar to Ibaka. I don't think Kemp should have too much of a problem.
Edge: Seattle

C: Ervin Johnson (SEA) vs. Kendrick Perkins (OKC)
The center match-up is kind of a wash. Perkins means very little on the offensive end, so Johnson has the advantage there. Perkins is the better defensive player, except his defensive abilities is devalued because Johnson isn't that great of an offensive player himself.
Edge: Doesn't matter (maybe OKC, because Johnson didn't play as much during the playoffs)


Bench: Sam Perkins, Nate McMillan, Vincent Askew (SEA) vs. James Harden, Derek Fisher, Nick Collison (OKC) 
I tend to feel that the best player off the bench usually determines the quality of the bench. Here, James Harden is easily the best bench player of the all whom I've listed. Fisher and Collison, though possessing unimpressive numbers, both do the little things that keep a team contending. Perkins, while good, was not a borderline All-Star like Harden is. McMillan had health issues throughout the season, and Askew was rather forgettable.
Edge: OKC


Coach: George Karl (SEA) vs. Scott Brooks (OKC)
Brooks has done a good job getting the best out of his young team, and he may someday go down as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. However, George Karl was a great coach back in 1996, and in retrospect, is one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.
Edge: SEA


Conclusion
I think this series could go either way, as both teams consist of a "Big 3" and several solid bench players. However, what I think it'll come to is Seattle's defense. I'd expect Westbrook to struggle a lot against Payton, and Hawkins is a very competent defensive player against Harden. While Schrempf is merely an average defender, he does have the versatility to combat Durant, and as a team, the Sonics were ranked 2nd in the league in defense and should be able to slow Durant down. In this scenario, Seattle's 2nd ranked defense trumps OKC's 2nd ranked offense. On the other hand, OKC has a good, but not great, defense, and this relies a lot on Ibaka's defense. As I stated above, I don't expect Kemp to have much issue against Ibaka, so this negates the latter's one-on-one defense.

Adding to that, having a post players on the offensive end matters in a best-of-seven series. It's the big guys who you can count on to make shots on a more consistent basis, as sometimes jump shots just don't fall in. In Kemp, Schrempf, and Perkins, Seattle had three different guys who can create out of the post. On the other end, the Thunder have essentially no one. While Oklahoma City's offense and athleticism makes them a tough out, Seattle's defense and versatility made them a tough score.
Verdict: Seattle in 7

Credit: Mark Harrison, SeattleTimes

33rd Anniversary of Seattle's Only Championship