Western Conference Playoffs Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

                            (3) Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27) vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks (42-40)

     The Oklahoma City Thunder are the best team in the NBA that nobody is talking about. The Warriors and Spurs are getting a lot of attention and deservedly so, but lost in the shuffle is what the Thunder are doing right now. They have a very impressive record and are led by the fantastic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant is averaging 28.2 points per game and Westbrook is averaging 23.5 points per game. As a duo, they give Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson all that they can handle. It's just that they don't have as much of a supporting cast.

     As for the Dallas Mavericks, they are still led by Dirk Nowitzki, who averages 18.3 points per game. Dirk is producing at a very high level for a player of his age and Deron Williams is actually playing pretty well, averaging 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per game. The problems for the Mavericks is that they don't have as much talent as the Thunder and to make things worse, they aren't even at full strength. Jeremy Evans is out for the season and Chandler Parsons is out for at least the series with a return in the second round of the playoffs a possibility, but nothing that can be banked on.

     The bottom line for the Thunder in this series is that if Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both show up and produce like they've been all season, they'll win this series with little trouble. Durant and Westbrook by themselves should bury the Mavericks and then when you give them Enes Kanter, Serge Ibaka, and Dion Waiters, it's fair to ask what point the Mavericks have in even showing up to the arena.

     As for the Mavericks, they need Dirk Nowitzki to work some magic and they need his supporting cast to step up. If Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Raymond Felton, and David Lee all come up big every night, the Mavericks could make things interesting. However, it's highly unlikely that they do.

     Assuming miracles are rare occurrences, I have the Thunder winning this series in five games. Dirk Nowitzki will find a way to lead his team to a win on their home floor in Dallas. Beyond that, it'll be one way traffic in favor of the Thunder. Look for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to have their way in this one.

Note: Game 1 of this series in Saturday at 9:30 PM EST on ESPN.