Is Dwyane Wade still a top ten player?

Thunder forward Kevin Durant was quoted in an interview saying that Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade should be replaced in Sport’s Illustrated’s top ten list of NBA players.

While Durant’s comments sparked a little back and forth between he and Wade on Twitter, Durant raised a viable question. Is Wade still a top ten player?

Magic’s GM Following the OKC Blueprint

When Rob Hennigan was hired as General Manager of the Orlando Magic, it was expected that he would look to rebuild the team in the same manner as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Hennigan was an assistant GM with OKC for two years before the Magic came calling.

Admittedly, the OKC model makes a lot of sense for Orlando. Both are small market teams which makes drawing big name stars nearly impossible.

LeBron remembers Lithuanians 2004 upset of Team USA

LeBron James remembers. Most people who have seen James play, marvel at his mind-boggling athletic prowess but one of the things that many people don’t know about James is he has an almost photographic memory.

It’s one of the reasons why James basketball IQ is so high. James’ memory of games and plays and situations is one of the reasons he can play at such a high level on such a consistent basis.

Thunder’s Kevin Durant being exposed defensively in Finals

The Oklahoma City Thunder practically stormed through the playoffs on the way to their first NBA Finals appearance since moving to Oklahoma. And no one is more responsible for the Thunder’s magical run than Kevin Durant.

Durant has been otherworldly with his ability to score points in bunches and hit shots from just about anywhere on the floor. He is averaging 28. 3 points-per-game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field.

Dream matchup: Heat's LeBron James versus Thunder's Kevin Durant

The NBA couldn't have asked for a better scenario than to have the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat meet up in the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant versus LeBron James and OKC's big three versus Miami's big three are the matchups that everyone will be dying to watch.

And there's no denying that how Durant and James play each other will be a big factor in deciding the outcome of this series as well as how Russell Westbrook matches up against Dwyane Wade and which player out of Chris Bosh and James Harden has a bigger impact off the bench. But while those matchups will be important, the outcome of this series could hinge even more on how the role players perform.

Thunder’s James Harden is the ‘Closer’

James Harden had his best game of the playoffs in Game 4 of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first round series against the Dallas Mavericks. Harden totaled 29 points, five boards, five assists and three steals off the bench as his hot fourth-quarter shooting effectively ended the Mavericks’ season.

Harden’s fourth-quarter performance was needed because the Mavericks weren’t going down without a fight and neither of the team’s two biggest stars was playing well enough to put Dallas away. Harden erupted though pouring in 15 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter.

Russell Westbrook: OKC Thunder’s 6’3” big man

How is the NBA counteracting the dearth of viable big men that are entering the league these days? Simple, teams have started to look more for penetrating point guards like the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook in the draft to help generate points in the paint.

Just look at some of the teams in the league now and how they operate. When the game is on the line, the Chicago Bulls give the ball to Derrick Rose and ask him to blow past a defender to either get them a critical basket or force the defense to send him to the foul line.

Could Derek Fisher help tame OKC's Russell Westbrook?

LeBron James publicly stated that he wanted Derek Fisher in Miami but it seems that Fisher is set to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder once he clears waivers. While his skills have eroded, players all over the league know how invaluable Fisher’s leadership and experience are to a team. Russell Westbrook and the Thunder are about to find out for themselves.

Contestants please: sizing up the All-Star game in Orlando

In my humble opinion, I believe that the NBA hosts the best all-star game of all professional sports. You don’t hear anyone talk about all-star contests from different eras like you do the Slam Dunk contest or the Three-Point shooting contest. Famous dunks like Dominique Wilkins’ tomahawk, Michael Jordan dunking from the free throw line or Vince Carter sticking his arm in the rim are classic highlights on sports shows.