NBA FINALS

     The always entertaining NBA Finals is upon us yet again.  Game 1 is tonight in Oklahoma City.  This matchup is a class of the titans, with both teams expected by many to be here.  There are many intriguing storylines as we enter the Finals, but here are what I think are going to be the 5 keys to this year's Finals.  These keys go a long way to in determining who wins.

Key #5 - The Turnover Battle - The Thunder led the NBA in a dubious statistic of averaging the most turnovers per game in the regular season at 16.  That number has been cut drastically in the postseason.  Both teams, but the Heat especially, thrive in transition and turnovers are the quickest way to get the fast break started.

Key #4 - Coming in Hot - Both teams are coming in riding an incredible amount of momentum.  For the Thunder, it was cooling off the hottest team in the league by winning 4 straight against the Spurs.  For the Heat, it was beating the Celtics twice with their backs against the wall and, for the time being, silencing their critics.  Because of this, it will be very interesting to see how the loser of Game 1 responds.

Key #3 - Who Guards Who? - The Thunder have the obvious advantage at point guard, but it begs the question:  Can Mario Chalmers guard Russell Westbrook?  If he can't, it poses tremendous problems for the Heat.  That would mean having to move Wade or James over to guard him, but then who will guard Durant, Harden, or Ibaka?  Likewise, I'm not sure how the Thunder plan to guard Wade or James.  Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka are easily their best defenders, but neither one of them is well suited to guard a wing.  This would mean having to put Durant, Harden, or possibly even Westbrook on the two.  Guarding a superstar with your own is never ideal, so I wonder how the Thunder plan to handle that predicament.

Key #2 - Coaching  - Like it or not, Erik Spoelstra takes a lot of heat (pun intended) and will be ridiculed endlessly if the Heat fall short in this series.  To win, he will have to beat a rising star in the coaching ranks, Scott Brooks.

Key #1 - LeBron James - He is the one everybody will be watching in this series.  No matter how well or awfully he plays in this series, it will come down to whether he is able to lead his team to victory.  If he does, he may once and for all be able to quiet the critics.  But, if not, this summer will go like every other one has for him, with disappointment and constant criticism.  If they don't win, this could be the end of the Big 3 in Miami.