Oklahoma City will need improvement from Durant and Westbrook if they are going to get by without Serge Ibaka who is out with a calf injury. That puts a hole in the defense as he was leading the league in blocks at the time. Losing Ibaka could put the Thunder at a loss for the series. He was a presence on defense and one Oklahoma City will miss. The team beat the Spurs all four times in the regular season, but can they do it again without the star?
The Spurs have their own injury issues. Parker is dealing with a hamstring issue and will be tested while facing Westbrook and Reggie Jackson. To help out Parker, Kawhi Leanard will get the task of bothering Durant all game.
The Thunder take a different approach, using the dynamic of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to stay alive. Durant is putting up 31.4 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in the postseason while Westbrook is putting up 26.6 points per game along with 8.4 assists.
Tony Parker is 32. Tim Duncan is 38. Manu Ginobili is 36. They are three of the oldest players in the league and yet year after year, they find themselves contending for a title once again. The original Big 3 first won a title together back in 2003. They reached the NBA Finals last year where they fell to the Miami Heat. This year they begin their quest to the same as they approach their seventh Western Conference finals as teammates. Now the Spurs will try and fight off Father Time one more season and get past the Thunder for another Finals appearance.
San Antonio's run has not been easy this season. The team has suffered injuries to almost their entire roster at one point or another. However, a strong finished pushed them back into contention. The Spurs ended the regular season on a high note just to carry the momentum into the postseason. The team is currently shooting 49 percent from the field and while no player is averaging more than 20 points a game, the collective group is being productive as one unit.
The San Antonio Spurs might have a roster filled with aging players, but when it comes to the postseason, they all play like they are fresh out of the draft. Parker, Duncan and Ginobili are three of the most storied veterans in the league and seem to dig into the fountain of youth every time the playoffs come around. Can the team do it once again as they face league MVP Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Watch Western Conference finals game 1, click here.
