Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins is arguably one of the best defensive-minded centers in the game today and is no stranger to guarding elite players at his position.
Even though he gets a lot of criticism for his attitude and lack of ability to be a force offensively, it's hard to argue that he wasn't a major factor in the Boston Celtics championship run in 2009 and during his time with the Thunder, helping to propel them to becoming one of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Perkins is also no stranger to voicing his opinion neither.
After hearing the Los Angeles Lakers had added Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, Perkins said the following about his team's mindset heading into next season via Darnell Mayberry of NewsOk.com:
"We are the Western Conference champs," Perkins said. "So at the end of the day, we're not chasing nobody except for the ring. We're chasing Miami to get a championship. It's no guarantee who is going to be where. But we earned the Western champs so we're not chasing the Lakers, we're chasing a championship and that's what it's about."
Perkins is obviously no shaken or intimidated by the recent moves of the Lakers as he believes the Thunder are still the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Perkins has a point, the Thunder are the team to beat in the west. Though they have a young roster, this team has been playing as a unit for some time now. I know they say with age comes experience, but the Thunder in the past two seasons have made it to the Western Conference Finals and of course the Finals last season.
This group has a much experience as any other team with more veteran players. They're hungry for a title and with the way they balance defense with their fast break offense, I don't think the Lakers can really match well against them.
Sure the addition of Howard almost seems like the definite answer to the Lakers problems both on the offensive side and defensive side in the post, but let's not forget Perkins was one of the few players in the league that was able to slow down the three-time Defensive Player of the Year and quickly got a reputation because of it.
When Howard returns and if both teams meet in the post season, it will be interesting to see whether or not Perkins will have the same impact on Howard as he did before.
Both guys are physical players, but with Howard coming off a back surgery I see Perkins using that more to his advantage.
Do you think Perkins cares Howard has a messed up back?
Heck no.
Perkins will play Howard physical because the season will depend on it. So expect to see a lot of bumping in the paint.
Unless Howard comes back playing like he's the second coming of Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon with amazing in-and-out post moves, he'll have his work cut out against OKC with Perkins only responsibility being to shut him down.
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