NBA Playoffs Round 1

Agree we're most likely going to have a rematch of last year's finals and nothing should change as the Heat got stronger and the Thunder are probably worse

I disagree, Thunder are much stronger this year, they are one of just a handful of teams to produce a margin of victory over 9 pts in the regular season, while the Heat have 4th  worst margin's of victory for teams with 65 wins or better in a season, 3 of the previous 4 failed to win the title.

The Heat are by far the worst rebounding team to get 65 wins or better in a season.

Weak rebounding teams rarely win titles, Pat Riley always told his Lakers teams who were borderline  weak, no rebounds = no rings and that has held oh so true through the years.

OKC certainly can and likely will beat the Heat in this years final..............................................

Actually should of said 2 of the previous 4 (50%)  -  65 game winners or better with the worst margins of victory have failed to win the title while the remaining 11  -  65 game winners with stronger margins of 8.5 or better, 10 of the 11 (90.9%) won the title.

Only Lebron's 2009 Cavs failed.

2013 Miami got 47.6% rebounds

2012 Miami got 50.24%

No comparison to Miami's rebounding this year and last.

Since 1974 when the league started tracking offensive and defensive rebounding just 2 teams won the title with rebounding under 49.25. Many of the greatest players and greatest winners in history failed to win the title playing on a weak rebounding team, Bird, Magic and Jordan to name a few.

No-way Pat Riley said such things about rebounding, you might be thinking of George Karl who routinely had weak rebounding teams and trie to convince people of such things that one could make-up for weak rebounding by doing other things well.

The most important stat in basketball with the highest correlation to winning NBA games, field goal % differential

2013 Thunder 5.6%

2012 Thunder 4.4%

PT margin

2013 Thunder 9.21

2012 Thunder 6.2

Thunder improved from last year by a huge 1.2%, and they produced one of the best point margins in the regulr season in history becoming one of a handful of teams to be over 9 pts.

The Thunder are clearly without question better this year and the Heat would be as I already pointed out one of the weakest 65 game winners, in history  Thunder  are likely to beat the Heat in the finals and should be the favorite, you can get them at a premium price ....................

I agree with you on the Clippers who should handle the Grizz and would be my best value series winner  play of the 1st round.

If you think Clips will win the series I wouldn't bet against them in game 1 as the team to win the series wins game 1 a high % of time and if the Clips win with a 5 pt spread they likely will cover.......................