NBA: 2012 Draft Recap

The 2012 NBA Draft took place yesterday and I will recap some interesting parts of it:

Anthony Davis was chosen by the Hornets with the first pick of the draft. This shouldn't have surprised anyone because he had been the consensus number one pick for a while.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was chosen second by the Charlotte Bobcats. I think the Cats made a good choice here. Now that Ben Gordon is also on the team, I think that they have a serious shot at the playoffs next year if they play things right.

The Cavs would have probably chosen Kidd-Gilchrist if he was available at the fourth pick, but instead they chose Dion Waiters from Syracuse. I was surprised by their choice here. If I was their GM, I probably would have chosen Harrison Barnes, Thomas Robinson, or someone else.

The Kings chose Thomas Robinson with the fifth pick. Robinson was the second pick in some mock drafts, but slipped in the actual draft. I think that the Kings made a good choice here, considering that they're not overly strong at the power forward position.

The Blazers chose Damian Liliard with the sixth pick. I think this was a good choice because Liliard is a point guard and Portland has had some recent troubles at that position.

I think that Harrison Barnes was the perfect choice for the Golden State Warriors at pick number seven.

The Hornets chose Austin Rivers with the tenth pick in the draft. I think this was a good move. I imagine that Davis and Rivers will both be starters next season and if Eric Gordon is re-signed, they might even be able to make the playoffs.

The 76ers chose Moe Harkless with the 15th pick. Harkless averaged 15.3 points per game as a freshman at St. Johns and I think that he can be a great player in the NBA, but the Sixers already have Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala, so he might struggle to get minutes.

The Celtics chose Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo with the 21st and 22nd picks. I think those two players are underrated and with help the Celtics with size, rebounding, shot-blocking, and post defense. Sullinger and Melo could just help Boston stay contenders next season.

Miles Plumlee was drafted by the Pacers with the 26th pick in the first round. Indiana is now forced to give guaranteed money for multiple years to a player that averaged 6.6 points and 7.1 rebounds as a senior in college at Duke. Good job, NOT!

Perry Jones III slipped to the 28th pick last night and was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Many bloggers are writing about how tragic it is that he was drafted so late. Jones had been red-flagged because of alleged knee problems among other negatives. I think that this was a great pick for the Thunder. Even if Jones turns out to be terrible on the NBA level or his knee messes up his career badly, OKC should still be contenders for years to come. Jones is young and still has a lot of potential. He could blossom into a star and be mentored by Kevin Durant and others on the team.

The Raptors chose Quincy Acy with 37th pick in the second round of the draft. Acy is a hard worker and a good rebounder. He could put up decent number and develop into a solid player if he is signed by the team.

Quincy Miller, a freshman out of Baylor, was drafted in the second round by the Nuggets. Miller is young and needs time to develop, but has a lot of potential.

Tyshawn Taylor was chosen by the new Brooklyn Nets with the 41st pick. Taylor helped lead Kansas to the NCAA Tournament Championship along with Thomas Robinson. He is a point guard and his minutes, assuming he's signed, will depend on whether Deron Williams resigns with the team or not.

Justin Hamilton was picked with the 45th pick and his rights are owned by the Miami Heat. I don't think that Hamilton will end up being good in the NBA. Look at his stats and compare it to his age, height, and minutes. He doesn't seem like a very efficient player and if he ends up actually being signed by the Heat, I expect him to be a non-factor.

Reggie Hamilton went undrafted. I hope he catches on with an NBA team for the Summer League. I could list a bunch of teams that should have chosen Hamilton in the second round, but it would be pointless.

Have any thoughts on how the 2012 NBA Draft turned out? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Prospect: Reggie Hamilton

With the 2012 NBA Draft happening tomorrow, fans and bloggers are going a mile-a-minute with speculation and trade rumors involving draft picks and prospects. A lot of names are going around. Anthony Davis, who was featured on the most recent SLAM cover wearing a Hornets jersey even though he hasn't been drafted yet, is the consensus number 1 pick. With the next picks, scouts are saying that Thomas Robinson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal, and Harrison Barnes will be lottery selections. Here's a name you probably haven't heard: Reggie Hamilton.

Hamilton, a 23 year-old senior, led the NCAA in points per game this year with an average of 26.2 ppg. Here's a list of other players who have recently done the same thing: Jimmer Fredette, Stephen Curry, and Reggie Williams. All of those players are in the NBA currently. Fredette was a first-round draft pick to the Kings a year ago, Curry is a rising star who has only been held back by ankle injuries, and Williams has been in the league since 2009.

However, Hamilton is expected to go undrafted tomorrow. Even though he is 23 years old, played in what most would call a weak conference, and is only about 5-11 or 6-0, he averaged 26.2 points, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game last season with Oakland. He also shot 44.7% from the field, 42% from 3-point range, and 87.6% from the free-throw line. That's great in my opinion. If I was an NBA gm, I'd draft him.

Despite him probably not being drafted, Hamilton has worked out with a bunch of teams including the Pistons, Jazz, and Pacers, among others. If one of those teams doesn't take a chance on him with a second round pick, he could still sign with an NBA team. He could play in the Summer League, get invited to a training camp, be named to their preseason roster, and then make the squad for the regular season.

I'm pretty high on Hamilton right now. Unlike most bloggers, I don't care to look at the draft too much as a whole, but instead focus on a few prospects that I think are underrated. During last year's draft, I particularly liked Talor Battle, Scotty Hopson, Jacob Pullen, Isiah Thomas, and Josh Harrellson. I was right on the money with what I speculated about Thomas and Harrellson. Battle, Pullen, and Thomas went undrafted and haven't really been given a chance with an NBA team.

This year, I'll say this. Reggie Hamilton is my sleeper pick. I think he's underrated and could blossom into a star or a solid role player in the NBA. If he ends up with the Miami Heat, he could be a reserve point guard or a role player like Norris Cole and help them repeat in 2013. With the New York Knicks, he could end up being Jeremy Lin 2.0, especially if Lin signs with another team this offseason. With a team like the New Orleans Hornets, he could emerge as a starter and put up Kemba Walker-like stats in his rookie year. Other teams that I think he could be a starter on are the Los Angeles Lakers (if Ramon Sessions leaves), the Phoenix Suns (if Steve Nash leaves), the Toronto Raptors, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Portland Trail Blazers.

I hope that Hamilton gets drafted tomorrow, but if he doesn't, I hope he can prove the doubters wrong. Here are a few point guards who went undrafted that Hamilton could end up like: Jeremy Lin, Mike James, Earl Boykins, David Wesley, Avery Johnson, Mike Wilks, Troy Hudson, and Darrell Armstrong.

Have any thoughts on Reggie Hamilton or this year's draft? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Lose in Championship to Soldiers 150-116 in Blowout

(Photo Courtesy: Kankakee County Soldiers - Facebook)

The Albany Legends lost today to the Kankakee County Soldiers 150-116 in the 2012 IBA Spring Championship. It was a blowout loss as the Legends struggled and the Soldiers dominated.

A play-by-play recap of this game isn't necessary. I listened to the game live and the Soldiers just kept developing their lead after gaining an early advantage in the first quarter. The Soldiers led 39-26 at the end of the first quarter. They developed their lead even more in the second period and led 70-51 at the half. The Soldiers pulled ahead even more in the third quarter and led 110-83 at the start of the fourth. The Soldiers didn't let up in the final quarter and won 150-116. The Soldiers won every quarter of the game and are now the back-to-back champions of the IBA.

I feel that breaking down the keys to the game would be pessimistic and obvious. To sum it up quickly, the Legends struggled, missed a lot of shots, gave up offensive rebounds, turned the ball over, and didn't play a good game.

Also, the championship was the 6th game in 7 days for the Legends. I think their chances against the Soldiers would have been higher if the players had been better rested.

Player of the Game: Tie between Ryan Edwards (33 points, 10 rebounds) and Stan Chismark (34 points)

Lloyd Johnson led the Legends with 31 points in the losing effort. Josh Jones finished with 19 points and E.J. Gallup had 16 points. Brian Hanuschak scored 13 points and Zach Bye scored 10 in the loss.

Though their season ended in a somewhat embarrassing fashion, Legends fans and players should keep their heads up, and here's why:

-They made it to the championship. That's something to be proud of, especially since they got there without Tadre Sheppard and Tiki Mayben.

-Lloyd Johnson had a breakout season and emerged as one of the best players in the IBA and the leader of the team.

-The future is bright. The Legends had a bunch of rookies on their roster this season (T.J. Czeski, Zach Bye, Brian Hanuschak, Shea Bromirski, and Kyle Downey). If they're on the team next season, they should only get better. Though E.J. Gallup is getting older as he progresses into his 30's, shooting is the main facet of his game and that usually isn't worsened with age. I think the Legends will be better next season and will be championship contenders if their roster isn't shaken up in a bad way.

-The Legends have had a winning record and have made the playoffs in every season since their establishment, so even if the team becomes worse next season, we should still be good.

-The Albany Legends recently announced that John Coffino has signed a one-year contract with the team and will return next season as head coach. I think this is a good move. Coffino did his best at coaching the Legends while being their 3rd coach in the 2012 season alone. I like Coffino. I think he's a pretty chill dude and a good coach too. I think that part of the reason that the Legends came up short was because Coffino had never coached in the IBA before and had to adjust to the speed and different rules of the league. That being said, I think this move gives the team some more stability which I think will be good for next season.

Source(s): Matt Schulz

Have any thoughts on the Legends losing in the championship to the Soldiers? Were you there? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Ballers in Comeback Win, Advance to Finals

The Albany Legends defeated the Kenosha Ballers yesterday 136-134 and will advance to the IBA Championship.

Although the Legends were down by 7 with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, they came back and gained the lead. Late in the game, with about a second and a half left in the game, the Legends were up by 2 and Kyle Downey was at the line to shoot two free throws. He could have iced up the game, but missed both of them. Luckily, Lloyd Johnson grabbed the rebound at the buzzer and the Legends held on to win the game. The final score was 136-134.

Now that the Legends have won in the semifinals, they will be playing in the IBA Championship today. Their season all comes down to this last game. The Albany Legends (12-5) will play the Kankakee County Soldiers (14-3) today at 5:00 pm Eastern time.

Player of the Game: Lloyd Johnson (a game-high 43 points to lead the Legends to the championship)

E.J. Gallup scored 34 points in the win. Josh Jones helped out with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

For the Ballers, Tim Baines scored 27 points. Damon Osbourne finished with 25 points.

Today's final game should prove to be tough for the Legends. The Soldiers beat the Legends in their season series so far 2-1. Plus, the Soldiers also won the IBA Championship last season and Ryan Edwards is the league's leading scorer and reigning MVP. I've seen Edwards play and the dude's a beast. The Legends are gonna have their hands full with him.

But there still is a good chance that the Legends can beat the Soldiers today in what I would call an upset. Here's how: Lloyd Johnson needs to keep up his level of play and try to outplay Edwards. The Legends need to stay focused on defense and on the boards. I would suggest giving more minutes to Zach Bye because of his rebounding skills for his size. I think that Lloyd Johnson will get his numbers as usual, but the x-factor could be E.J. Gallup vs. Ryan Edwards. If Gallup can hit his three's and Edwards can be harassed defensively into having a bad night, the Legends will have a better chance of winning.

I think (and hope) that the Legends will win today and be the 2012 IBA Spring Champions.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Ballers and advancing to the championship? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Beat Capitals 135-105, Advance to Semifinals

The 3rd-seeded Albany Legends beat the 6th-seeded Lansing Capitals in the first round of the IBA playoffs yesterday and the final score was 135-105.

Lloyd Johnson led the Legends with a team-high 33 points. Kyle Downey chipped in with 24 points and Shea Bromirski finished with 20 points. Adam Abdourahamane scored 18 points and E.J. Gallup scored 16 points in the win.

For the Capitals, Terrance Shaw scored 33 points in the loss. David Williams finished with 19 points. Though their season is over, their fans have to be happy with Shaw's play over the course of the season. In my opinion, he was one of the best players in the IBA this season.

I think the key to the Legends winning this game (which could have gone either way) was Downey, Bromirski, and Abdourahmane stepping up in the absence of Tadre Sheppard and Tiki Mayben. Downey and Bromirski combined for 44 points to make up for the loss of Mayben. Abdourahmane, who usually just plays the role of rebounder and post-defender, scored more than usual to help make up for the abscence of Sheppard.

I predicted in my last article on the Legends that they would lose in the semifinals, which will take place later tonight. I'm not so sure anymore though because the Legends will be playing the 7th-seeded Kenosha Ballers who upset the 2nd-seeded Los Angeles Lightning who had a 12-2 regular season record before losing in the first round of the playoffs yesterday. Considering that the Ballers had a losing record during the regular season, I think that the Legends will beat them in the semifinals tonight.

The Albany Legends (11-5) will play the Kenosha Ballers (8-8) at 10 pm tonight. One of the keys to the game for the Legends will be defending Devron Bostick. As of June 13th, Bostick was ranked third in the IBA in points per game behind Lloyd Johnson and the league's reigning MVP, Ryan Edwards. If the Legends can step up their defense and lock Bostick down, they'll have a better chance of winning. Other keys for the Legends include Johnson keeping up his high level of play, Gallup's 3-point shooting, rebounding, and making up for the losses of Mayben and Sheppard.

I think the Legends will win. If they do, they'll play either the Gary Splash or the 1st-seeded Kankakee County Soldiers. If they play the Splash in the championship, I think that they'll win, but if they play the Soldiers instead, it will be much tougher for them. But it's a bit early for talking about the championship right now because the Legends need to win in the semifinals first.

Have any thoughts on the Legends beating the Capitals in the first round of the playoffs? Think the Legends will go all the way? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA Finals: Heat Win Championship, LeBron Gets Finals MVP

The Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the 2012 Finals 121-106 and clinched their second NBA championship as a franchise. LeBron James was named the Finals MVP.

I'll be honest, I didn't watch much of the beginning of the game. My brother controlled the remote and wanted to watch, "Crazy, Stupid, Love." instead of the series-clinching Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He only flicked it on the game for short periodic instances during the first half. During these short flashes, all I could notice was that the Heat were keeping a somewhat comfortable lead.

Fast forward to midway through the third quarter, my brother gave me the remote after insisting on watching the end of, "The Town" which everyone in the room had seen before. I switched it to the game and then witnessed the most one-sided second half of a quarter that I've ever seen. Mike Miller was draining three's, Russell Westbrook kept missing, Mario Chalmers hit a three, James Harden missed one, Chris Bosh makes a three, Thabo Sefolosha gets blocked shooting a three. I don't even know if all of this happened in the third quarter, but that's when the Heat pulled away. Miami went up by 25 in the third and never looked back.

The fourth quarter was fun. Everyone knew the Heat were gonna win, so it didn't matter that OKC outscored them by 9 in the quarter. LeBron was jumping up and down on the bench anyway because he was finally gonna win an NBA title and his haters were gonna be silenced.

Both teams pulled out their benchwarmers at the end of the game, which I liked. For the Thunder, Royal Ivey made two 3-pointers in the final 3 minutes of the game. I liked that Ivey got a chance to show his stuff. I like Ivey and think that he's an underrated player. For the Heat, Terrel Harris got to play in the final 3 minutes of the game. Harris is that mysterious player that the Heat waived Eddie House at the beginning of the season in order to keep. Harris only played in 22 games during the regular season and 4 games during the playoffs including last night. He actually scored and made 3 out of 4 free throws. The Heat held on to their lead and won 121-106.

There are so many players that I find worthy of 'Player of the Game' honors that I can't narrow it down to one. Sure, LeBron had a triple-double, but Mike Miller had a surprise 23-point performance off-the-bench that included him making 7-out-of-8 three-pointers. For the Thunder, Kevin Durant had a great game even though his team lost. He scored 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, made all 3 of his free throws, and shot over 50 percent from the field.

LeBron James, to no one's surprise, was named the Finals MVP. I would have loved to see someone else on the Heat win it, especially Dwyane Wade, but I'm okay with it. And congrats to LeBron.

Here are some things I loved about this series that I haven't mentioned already:

-Eddy Curry gets a ring. He went from being overpaid, bench-warming, and losing to being on a minimum-level contract, bench-warming, and winning an NBA title. He will officially be up there with Adam Morrison and Brian Scalabrine, other bench warmers that have become well-known for winning an NBA championship. 

-Kevin Durant played well in the series and you can't blame the loss on him. James Harden and Russell Westbook did not play as well statistically and in my opinion. Considering that I love KD and dislike Harden and Westbrook, I'm happy.

-Derek Fisher didn't deserve another ring and didn't get it.

-Juwan Howard, who outlasted former Michigan teammates Jalen Rose and Chris Webber in the NBA, can finally retire.

-Since he was waived before the regular season started, Eddie House doesn't get another ring. I don't like him because he dissed Rafer Alston, one of my favorite players, and already won a title with the Celtics in 2008.

-Udonis Haslem and Dwyane Wade now have 2 rings, while everyone else on the Heat only has one each. Haslem and Wade have each been with Miami since 2003 and have played their entire careers there. Plus, they both took less money to stay with the Heat back in 2010.

-We can all stop hating on LeBron now. I'll admit it, I've done my fair share of hating on LeBron, but he is now validated as a true superstar and Jordan-competitor now that he has a title. 

(Photo Courtesy: The Associated Press)

Have any thoughts on the Miami Heat winning the championship? Should Ronny Turiaf have been Finals MVP instead of LeBron? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Legends Lose 2 Out Of 3 Road Games To End Regular Season

The Albany Legends finished out the 2012 regular season with three road games in a row on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They lost the first two, and then won their regular season finale in a blowout.

Before they left on the road, the Legends switched up their roster a bit. Tadre Sheppard, Shagari Alleyne, Tiki Mayben, and T.J. Czeski were gone while Shea Bromirski, Brian Hanuschak, and Brian Ormon were added to the roster.

This proved to be key for the Legends. I wasn't too worried about Alleyne and Czeski not being with the team anymore. They are both serviceable and helpful players, but are replaceable. However, the losses of Mayben and Sheppard, both starters this season, would prove to be significant in the fate of the Legends during their three road games. Sheppard is a crazy-athletic double-double machine with a field-goal percentage that's off the charts. Mayben is a talented point guard who can distribute the ball and have scoring outbursts as well (He scored 50 points in a loss to the Soldiers this season).

Bromirski and Hanuschak are both from Saint Rose and were presumably college teammates of Zach Bye. Bromirski is a 6-0 guard who can score and pass the ball well. Hanuschak is a 6-7 forward who can score and rebound well. Both of them played well in college, but seem undersized on the pro-level.

Ormon is a 6-7 forward like Hanuschak except Ormon is older. He was born in 1984 while Hanuschak and Bromirski should both be about 22 years old. I couldn't find too much info on Ormon, but it seems like he is a scorer and a rebounder. Ormon played high school basketball at Schenectady High School.

Game 1: Monday, June 18, 2012 - Lansing Capitals 147, Legends 132 (LOSS)

The Legends lost their first road game of the season to the Capitals, who had been swept in a 3-game series vs. the Legends earlier this season.

Lloyd Johnson scored 43 points and E.J. Gallup scored 30, but it wasn't enough. In their professional debuts, Bromirski scored 11 points and Hanuschak had 12 points and 9 rebounds. Adam Abdourahamane had 13 points and Kenny Tribbett scored 10 in the loss.

For the Capitals, Derick Nelson scored a team-high 28 points. Terrance Shaw had a double-double with 27 points and 20 rebounds. Dave Williams also had a double-double and finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.

Player of the Game: Terrance Shaw (27 points, 20 rebounds, 1 assist)

Game 2: Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - Battle Creek Knights 119, Legends 109 (LOSS)

The Legends should have won this game, considering that the Knights had a 2-11 record before the game and the Legends had swept them in a 2-game series earlier this season, but they didn't. Lloyd Johnson had another Lloyd-Johnson-like game and scored a game-high 32 points, but the Legends lost again. Josh Jones scored 24 in the losing effort.

Game 3: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - Legends 150, Battle Creek Knights 99 (WIN)

The Legends must have been fired up before this game. They were on a 3-game losing streak, their longest of the season, and didn't want to end the regular season by getting swept by one of the worst teams in the IBA.

Albany went on to beat the Knights by 51 points in a blowout win. Lloyd Johnson had a triple-double and finished with a game-high 45 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. E.J. Gallup scored 44 points and made 12 three-pointers in the win. Zach Bye had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Star of the Series: Lloyd Johnson (averaged 38.5 points in the 2-game series against the Knights)

I think that the key to the Legends losing to the majority of their road games was the absence of Tadre Sheppard. He was one of the most important players on the team this season. Tiki Mayben is not as important because Lloyd Johnson can fill his role.

The 2012 IBA Playoffs start tomorrow. The Albany Legends (10-5) will play the Lansing Capitals at 3:00 pm on Friday in the first round. I'm predicting that the Legends will beat the Capitals and advance to the semi-finals, but will lose and not advance to the championship.. I think that Johnson's leadership, Gallup's 3-pointers, and Bye's deceptive rebounding skills will be enough to take them to the semi-finals, but they will miss Sheppard and won't be able to win it all. I could be wrong, but if the Legends want to win the championship this year, then somebody should buy Tadre a plane ticket to Gary, Indiana, and fast!

Sources:
http://ibaball.net/news-scores
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Legends-regular-season-finale-a-laugher-3650635.php
http://www.gogoldenknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=923
http://www.gogoldenknights.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1280
http://www.usbasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=USA&PlayerID=144764
http://wasc.pointloma.edu/Content/Athletics/MensBasketball/Roster/Brian_Ormon.htm

Have any thoughts on the Albany Legends finished out their regular season on the road? Can the Legends win the championship without Tiki Mayben and Tadre Sheppard? Can Lloyd Johnson carry the Legends all the way? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA Finals: Thunder Beat Heat Behind Durant's 36, Lead Series 1-0

Last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the 2012 NBA Finals 105-94 behind 36 points by Kevin Durant and a double-double by Russell Westbrook.

The game started with missed mid-range jumpers by Westbook, then James. Battier made a 3-pointer which served as the first basket of the 2012 NBA Finals and put the Heat up 3-0. Miami didn't look back and kept the lead for the rest of the quarter. At the end of the first, the Heat led 29-22.

Oklahoma City scored the first points of the second quarter with a dunk by Nick Collison, but the Heat responded with a 8-0 run and went up 37-24. Miami kept a comfortable lead over the Thunder for the rest of the quarter and led 54-47 at the end of the first half.

At halftime, LeBron had 14 points, Shane Battier had 13 points, Chalmers had 10 points and 5 assists, Dwyane Wade had 6 points and 5 assists, Udonis Haslem had 4 points and 9 rebounds, and Chris Bosh had 7 points off the bench. For the Thunder, Durant had 13 points, Serge Ibaka had 10 points, and Westbrook had 9 points and 6 assists.

The Thunder went on a 13-6 run to start the second half and tied the game up 60-60. Back-to-back layups by LeBron put the Heat up 64-60, but the Thunder came back and went up 74-73 at the end of the third quarter.

Oklahoma City started the fourth quarter on a 6-1 run and went up 80-74 before a 3-point play by Wade cut the lead to 3. The Thunder later went on a 9-2 run to go up by 10 and led 93-83. A 3-point play by LeBron cut the lead to 5, but OKC pulled away. A dunk by Collison with 29.3 seconds left in the quarter served as the dagger and put the Thunder up 103-92 (their largest lead of the game). The final score was 105-94 with the Thunder coming out on top.

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant (36 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 12-20 field goals, 4-8 three-pointers, 8-9 free throws)

Here are the top 10 early Finals MVP candidates based on Game 1:
1. Kevin Durant
2. Russell Westbrook - 27 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds
3. LeBron James - 30 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals
4. Dwyane Wade - 19 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 5-5 free throws
5. Nick Collison - 8 points, 10 rebounds, 4-5 field goals
6. Mario Chalmers - 12 points, 6 assists, 5-7 field goals, 2-4 three-pointers
7. Shane Battier - 17 points, 4 rebounds, 6-9 field goals, 4-6 three-pointers
8. Kendrick Perkins - 4 points, 7 rebounds, 2-2 field goals
9. Derek Fisher - 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3-5 field goals
10. James Harden - 5 points, 3 assists, 1-2 three-pointers

I'll bet that one of those ten guys will be named the Finals MVP at the end of the series, but as of right now it looks like it will probably be Durant or Westbrook.

Here are some keys to the game and observations:
-The Heat led 39-26 in the second quarter (a 13-point lead), but were outscored by the Thunder 79-55 for the remainder of the game.
-Wade and LeBron both shot under 50% from the field and from 3.
-Ibaka went scoreless after scoring 10 points in the first half.
-Westbrook almost had a triple-double, but shot a mediocre 10-for-24 from the field and missed all 4 of his 3-point-attempts.
-Deaquan Cook, who played his first 3 seasons with the Heat, played an ineffective 3 minutes for the Thunder. He missed 2 free throws and finished with zeros in every statistical category.
-For the Heat, Joel Anthony was also ineffective and had a trillion in 2 minutes of play. 

(Photo Courtesy: http://sports.yahoo.com/photos/nba-finals-heat-vs-thunder-game-1-1339560764-slideshow/oklahoma-city-thunders-durant-celebrates-three-point-basket-photo-032748066.html)

Have any thoughts on the Thunder beating the Heat to go up 1-0 in the Finals? Think Eddy Curry will end up being the Finals MVP? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.