Which is a better team--Miami or OKC?

[Uriel]

OKC won 59 games in the regular season. They had a Net rating of +11.2 despite playing a difficult schedule (Strength of Schedule: .513) Miami, on the other hand, only won 54 games. They only registered a Net Rating of +8.7 in the lowly Eastern Conference with a Strength of Schedule of .491.

In other words, OKC won by a bigger margin against tougher competition. There's a legitimate argument to be made that OKC is better than Miami, and that the WCF was the real NBA Finals.

[gospursgojas]

Milwaukee Bucks tbh

[baseline bum]

not sure if srs

[benstanfield]

Miami.

But OKC is a perfect warmup for Miami in the same way Dallas was a perfect warmup for Portland.

[Old School 44]

Miami has the better TEAM, but I think we match up a lot better with Miami.

[dbreiden83080]

Obviously you have to say Miami but I think we match up a bit better with them.

[spurraider21]

Miami is the better team, but OKC was probably the tougher matchup for us. still doesn't guarantee shit

[BanditHiro]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hGfyZq1ZJzA/UyWRQKNHWiI/AAAAAAAAA_c/WG4EE7jrxws/s1600/wat.png

[Malik Hairston]

Miami is a better team that actually plays team basketball, but OKC was the most difficult matchup in the league for the Spurs, tbh..

Overcoming OKC has to be a huge confidence booster for the Spurs IMO..

[spurraider21]

Miami.

But OKC is a perfect warmup for Miami in the same way Dallas was a perfect warmup for Portland.
sort of but not really. playing OKC was just going up against great athletes who iso'd a lot... miami is the best passing team in the NBA outside of san antonio

[thiste]

Not sure which is the best between them if they were to have a 7 game series right now (I'm betting Heat would win), but I'm convinced this OKC team presents a bigger challenge for us Spurs than the current Heat.

And to be honest, we might get a freebie just on the fact that they played the lowly Pacers in the previous series and won't be prepared for what's coming. God knows we're ready for battle right now.

[benstanfield]

sort of but not really. playing OKC was just going up against great athletes who iso'd a lot... miami is the best passing team in the NBA outside of san antonio

Hyperathletic 1st and 2nd options that thrive off of transition scoring, big that is a threat to score from the outside but not a post threat. What OKC lacks in execution it has in athleticism over Miami. Not sure how much closer you could get, without splitting hairs.

[gospursgojas]

Miami has 2 great perimeter players and an athletic big...same as okc. Only they actually have an offensive system and bench.

Miami

[servalli]

Dallas tbh

[SnakeBoy]

Miami...OKC doesn't have a TEAM.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Miami but spurs can win, and i think they will

[thiste]

Ibaka >> Bosh
Westbrook > Wade
Durant < LeBron

Much easier!

[therealtruth]

I am wondering if the Heat aren't in for a wakeup call. They've been facing easy competition. While we've been facing 50 win teams. I think we're more battle tested.

[100%duncan]

U wot m8?

[Danny.Zhu]

Miami and it's not even close.

[spursparker9]

Miami got more 3 points shooters and their bench play well on away games.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Miami is deeper and boasts more individual talent. OKC is a bigger matchup problem.

[rascal]

Miami is a better team that actually plays team basketball, but OKC was the most difficult matchup in the league for the Spurs, tbh..

Overcoming OKC has to be a huge confidence booster for the Spurs IMO..

Spurs were spotted the first two games so OK City was in a big hole, a little too much to over come. Miami plays better perimeter defense which is the Spurs bread and butter on offense, getting the open 3 point shot.

[TampaDude]

What happened the last time Miami and OKC met in the Finals?

There's your answer.

[emanueldavidginobili]

Miami by a mile

[dunkman]

Regular season stats don't mean a lot in playoffs, different type of bball.

[mrjap2x]

Wade not playing as much makes their record misleading.

[myhc]

Miami because they are so balanced. Wade looks rejuvenated, their role players are dangerous, Spoelstra can actually coach, and they have the best player on the planet. Miami and it's not close.

[Horse]

Miami but they are like okc without ibaka inside. We have a huge mismatch inside with Timmy and if Tony and Manu can get in the paint there is no one to stop them.

[$pursDynasty]

Not a question of better per se just of matchups. An Achilles heel of the Spurs is the ultra fast pg penetrating into the lane ala the Mavericks series and our constant problems with Westbrook. The Heat don't have that, they have a good team a just as good team, they just don't do what hurts us the most so while they Heat might beat the Thunder 8 times out of 10, we match up with the Heat better. Respect Lebron but they don't do the thing that even mediocre teams can damage us with.

[xmas1997]

I think it really depends on who they are matched up against. Who would have thought the Mavs would have been so good against the Spurs?
I think the Heat will have a much harder time against the Spurs than either the Mavs or the Thunder because the Spurs match up well against the Heat. In fact the Spurs should be their toughest opponent after the Pacers. The Heat have for the most part coasted through the playoffs so far, while the Spurs have been tested practically the whole way.
It would give me great pleasure to have the Spurs sweep them although I seriously doubt that would happen.

[pgardn]

The OP put the word TEAM in the title.

OKC is automatically disqualified.

Is it possible when the OKC TEAM is interviewed we could see something other than Durant and Westbrook doting on each other? They have bought into what the NBA wants them labeled, a 2 man freak show.

It's nauseating...

[xmas1997]

The OP should have asked which team was a harder match up for the Spurs. If he had I would have answered OKC. It seems they are the Spurs krytonite, they were apparently assembled to beat the Spurs IMHO.
But as worded by the OP, the Heat are clearly the better team IMHO.
Luckily the Spurs are a bad match up for the Heat.
The player I now worry about the most is Wade, he can be a terror when fully healthy.
Hopefully there is a long enough wait so that TP can get healthy.

[james evans]

with 4th quarter officiating, the thunder are even better than the 86 celtics. and it's not even close

[mercos]

OKC has a better team on paper, and is a much worse match up for the Spurs. However, Miami has the best player in Lebron, a known big game player in D-Wade, and is much better coached than OKC. Despite OKC's superior record in a tougher conference, I believe the Heat would have trounced them in the Finals just as they did in 2012. Just as OKC was a bad match up for the Spurs, the Heat are a bad match up for the Thunder.

[Uriel]

In hindsight, OKC-Spurs was the real NBA Finals. San Antonio, OKC, and the Clippers would all have beaten the Heat in a 7-game series.

[therealtruth]

In hindsight, OKC-Spurs was the real NBA Finals. San Antonio, OKC, and the Clippers would all have beaten the Heat in a 7-game series.

Or even the Mavs.

[ErnestLynch]

Dallas would have beaten Miami because of coaching. OKC/Miami would have been a tossup. But those are the only two that could have competed against Miami. Other than the Spurs of course. If you could call that series a 'competition'.

OKC and Miami were similar teams. 'OK' coaching, built on 3 players and no depth. Coin toss. Durant is not LeBron, Wade is no Westbrook, Ibaka with the slight edge over dino, and two horrible benches barring Allen for the Heat.