On Tuesday May 29, the sports betting God’s will tease NBA fans, as the Western Conference Finals gets underway. We say tease, because the Oklahoma City Thunder v San Antonio Spurs has an NBA Title matchup ring to it. It will be a battle of the new school v old school, as the Thunder’s big three battle the Spurs big three. But the fun doesn’t stop there, as many analysts, we included feel that the Thunder and Spurs have two of the deepest benches in the sportsbook world. Here is a preview of the Western Conference Finals.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, as the star trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, are all under the age of 24 heading into next Tuesday’s contest. On the other hand, the Spurs are one of the oldest teams, as Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker, each prepare to ride into the sunset, with one final NBA bookie software title. On paper, this is the new school v the old school, as the Thunder put their inexperience on the line against one of the most experienced clubs in the world of sports. This matchup also features a team that has never made it this far in the playoffs, against a team that will be looking to collect its fifth title in 12 years.
One of the main reasons both the Thunder and Spurs have cruised until this point in the playoffs, is the amount of depth each team has. Fielding two rotations that play the same system, the Spurs have annihilated opponents, as they swept both the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. In each of the series, the Spurs offense was well balanced as all 10 players on their roster, registered at least five points in all eight games. Conversely, the smart money has been on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s bench, as they have outworked the benches of the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. In fact, in Monday night’s blowout victory over the Lakers, the Thunder bench had outscored the Lakers at one point, 57 – 13. With each team exhibiting a ton of depth, it is tough for 5Dimes handicappers to make a decision.
Going into next Tuesday’s game one of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs are doing their best to not overlook a hungry and youthful Oklahoma City Thunder team. After sweeping the youthful and dynamic LA Clippers, the Spurs were quick to start studying the Thunder. In other words, Spurs stars such as Manu Ginobli tweeted that they were thrilled to battle the Thunder, because it places the two best teams against one another. What’s perhaps most interesting about this upcoming matchup is that the two teams are built identically.
For example, as NBA analysts can see, both teams have the capability to kill an opponent’s momentum, whether it is the five starters or bench players in the game. The Thunder in particular are an exciting team to watch, as they have some of the best players on both sides of the game. Essentially, where Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden can beat a team offensively, Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka can lock a game down in the final moments defensively. With such a well balanced game plan, the Thunder are showing they can play with anyone.