A Dynasty On Hold

Oklahoma City is probably going to have to wait a year before it can start it's jaunt towards dynasty.

 The Oklahoma City Thunder have had two opportunities now to show to us their newly discovered maturity, two opportunities to show us that they've taken the next step towards greatness. Unfortunately for the Thunder, they've run into the final push of the last great NBA dynasty and are just standing witness to maybe one of the greatest playoff runs we've ever seen.

This San Antonio team is like none of the previous four Spurs teams that won the title. Sure their "Big Three" has been through three of those four championships and of course Gregg Popovich has shown he is still the best coach in basketball despite being disrespected almost every year by media and the public alike. This Spurs squad is a well-oiled machine. They're like the last push of an army that will not stop 'til it gets what it wants. There is no storyline too them other than the fact they're really really old. There is no drama. There is no fluff. This is a perfectly assembled basketball team whose role players not only fit, but excel. No one wants to see them beat Oklahoma City, obviously Lebron vs. Durant is way sexier. But, San Antonio frankly doesn't give a rats' you know what. They're here for one more gold trophy and honestly who thinks they're going to be stopped? They have yet to lose a playoff game. They're 10-for-10. They destroyed the Clippers and Jazz who were far inferior opponents, but they really haven't let up that pace against this strong Thunder team. Yeah they've only won these two games by a combined 12 points, but they were in control from start to finish in both of them. Once you start methodically beating Oklahoma City, in my eyes, you're the team to beat and I think the rest of America is starting to agree with me.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think OKC is under performing or looking scared out there, the Spurs are just that damn good. Everything Scott Brooks attempts to throw at San Antonio they simply shove it right back down their throats, quietly and effectively. Durant and Westbrook are coexisting fine, but San Antonio is countering with a far superior Tim Duncan and a completely revolutionized Manu Ginobili. There is simply nothing the Thunder can do to stop this juggernaut, unless of course their raucous college-like crowd can somehow rattle this freight train, but I just don't see the San Antonio experience and maturity letting that happen.

And let's not forget about Tim Duncan's probable "last ride." I mean the man is on the verge of his fifth title, all of which he was the main man. Yes, I do think he was the Batman to David Robinson's Robin, so I'll count that '99 title as mainly his. But anyways, while everyone is hooting and hollering about Lebron and Kobe, Tim Duncan has quietly amassed one of the greatest careers in NBA history. If and probably when Duncan wins his fifth title I think it's fair to say we can enter him into the discussions of greatest player of all-time or at least the top 5 debate that includes, Kobe, Bird, Magic, Jordan and maybe Lebron? Isn't this all kind of wild though? You would have never put Tim Duncan in your top five. I mean, everyone knows that Tim Duncan is easily a hall-of-famer, but top five? It still doesn't register. He's the guy who has never said anything interesting, never shows emotions, never really makes any noise aside from when his shot banks in off the backboard. He has just put up monster numbers over the years, played within his system and hustled his butt off. But everyone forgets about him because he isn't flashy, doesn't really do advertisements and doesn't give a damn what people have to say about him or what his legacy might be. He just does his thing, which may very well include a handful of rings by late June.

Between Gregg Popovich's coaching and Tim Duncan's chase for a fifth ring, I don't see this being Oklahoma City's year. I know the dynasty was supposed to start this year and the Lebron-bowing-to-Durant sentiment was already set to begin, but the Spurs last gasp effort may be more than the league can handle. OKC will rise again next year and probably win their first, but for now it's the Spurs time to dance off into the sunset or in Tim Duncan's case just walk slowly into the sunset, emotionless.