Has the time come for 3-time MVP LeBron James to win his first R-I-N-G? OKC doesn't think so./AP Photo.

Got to stick my with pick.

Before the season started, I picked the Miami Heat as one of the five favorites to win it all.

Before the NBA playoffs, I picked them to win it all.

Now with Game 1 of the NBA Finals about to start in a few hours, the Heat are right where they’re supposed to be, but face the team I picked they’d meet in the finals – the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Oh boy.

The Thunder are serious, folks.

They play fast, can score as will, defend the paint and their Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are not only shot makers, but shot takers.

None of them are afraid to launch when all is on the line.

It’s hard to beat a team like that.

The Heat have the team to do it, but are they up to the challenge?

This isn’t the New York Knicks, who had talent, but couldn’t put it together in time to really challenge them.

This isn’t the Indiana Pacers, who although physical and tough, lacked the experience to put a team way.

This isn’t the Boston Celtics, who are savvy vets that ran out of gas.

This is Oklahoma City. The Thunder have the NBA’s best fans, just beat the league’s best team in San Antonio four straight times after the Spurs had won 20 games in a row.

However, this is LeBron James’ time.

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Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs have won 18 consecutive games. Will the Thunder challenge them?/AP

18 wins in a row. The San Antonio Spurs are rolling.

Unbeaten in this year’s NBA playoffs, the Spurs swept the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers to reach the Western Conference finals. They’ve been unstoppable.

They haven’t been tested, either, but that’s all about to change Sunday.

Here come the Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs have the best team, but the Thunder have the two best players in the series in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in James Harden.

So make no mistake. The Spurs will lose a game in this series, but will they lose the series?

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Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol better be up to the challenge of Kendrick Perkins (5) and Serge Ibaka or else./AP Photo.

Denver pushed them to the brink.

The Los Angeles Lakers needed a Game 7 at home and the return of Metta World Peace to outlast the Nuggets and advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Up next? Durant. Westbrook. Harden.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have their Big 3 – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden - muscle and shot blocking on the inside and depth at power forward and center positions.

What they don’t have is Kobe Bryant, who in his 16th season is still the game’s best closer.

As great as Bryant is, he’ll need help to get past the Thunder.

Paging Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

By the way, watch the elbows World Peace and watch out for them Harden.

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Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies couldn't come back from a 3-1 series deficit to beat the L.A. Clippers./AP Photo.

Not bad. Not bad.

With the Los Angeles Clipppers beating the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 7 Sunday to advance to the Western Conference semifinals, all the first-round series are complete. I finished 6-2 in predicting the first round.

Eastern Conference

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers.
Prediction: Bulls in 5
Outcome: Sixers in 6.
What happpened: Derrick Rose got hurt. Joakim Noah got hurt. Bulls didn’t have enough.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks
Prediction: Heat in 6
Outcome: Heat in 5
What happened: Knicks not ready as a team to seriously challenge Miami.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic
Prediction: Pacers in 5
Outcome: Pacers in 5
What happened: Without Dwight Howard, Magic had no shot to win this series.

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(1). San Antonio Spurs (50-16)

1st round foe: (8) Utah Jazz (36-30)

Biggest concern vs. Jazz: With big boys Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, Utah can cause the Spurs problems in the paint.

Last 10: 10-0 (Won 10)

Strengths: The hottest team in the NBA, the Spurs have great chemistry, Tony Parker is playing at a very high level and they’ve got one of game’s best coaches in Gregg Popovich.

Weaknesses: Still wondering if this regular-season success is a product of the schedule? Are they really as good as they appear to be? What happens if Parker gets in foul trouble early?

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The New York Knicks are back at it ag-Lin.

Jeremy Lin had 28 points and a career-high 14 assists to the lead the Knicks past the the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks today.

The Knicks are the NBA hybrid affiliate of the Erie BayHawks.

Kyle Goldcamp

Kyle Goldcamp stays with it. He does not back down.

“You know me by now,” he said with a wide grin. “I’m going to put my nose in the middle of everything.”

For players like Sean Williams, Goldcamp is a handful.

See, Williams has talent. Hops. Some skill. Can shoot for a big fella.

He’s certainly more talented than Goldcamp.

The Texas Legends power forward put up the kind of numbers someone from the NBA should  Friday night – game-high 29 points, three blocks. The Dallas Mavericks sent Williams down to the Legends.

However, his team blew a 20-point lead and lost, 118-115, to the Erie BayHawks at Tullio Arena and he wasn’t in the game when it mattered.

Why?

Because Goldcamp outworked him.

“I’ve gone against tough guys,” Goldcamp said. “He’s another tough one.”

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Gerald Green will make his debut with the Los Angeles D-Fenders in tonight’s D-League game against the Erie BayHawks at 7 at Tullio Arena.

The 2007 NBA Slam Dunk Champion was waived by the Los Angeles Lakers in training camp this month, but joined the D-Fenders through the D-League’s allocation rule which allows D-League teams to acquire up to three players waived from their NBA affiliates.

I talked with Green, 25, after today’s shootaround about being with the D-League, playing for former NBA coach Eric Musselman and what the 6-8, 200-pound forward expects in today’s 7 p.m. game.

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NBA commissioner David Stern canceled more games through Nov. 30 after talks with the NBPA broke down Friday./AP Photo.

Yo D? What’s up guy? Haven’t seen you in a minute. What’s good?

Ah man. Nothing much. Staying busy. What’s good with you?

You know me, kid. I’m out just trying to do the right thing. So it looks like you’ve slimmed down some. Getting your run on?

Yeah man. Trying.

I hear you. I saw you one time darn near get trucked by a car over there by the hospital. I was like, ‘Yo, that looks like D right there.’ Got to wear brighter colors bruh. You know moms taught you to look both ways before crossing the street.

You right. You right.

Anyway, what’s up with this lockout man? The NBA has one of its greatest seasons in recent memory then just shut it down. What you think the problem is?

Dollars. It’s all about the dollar.

Got millionaires fighting over billions. I just heard they canceled games through the end of next month and there won’t be an 82-game season.

Yep. Well, NBA commissioner David Stern never says never, but he even admitted it’s not “practical” to have a full season. Shouldn’t have even tried to do that after canceling games earlier. Never understood trying to cram an 82-game season in.

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Bruce Pearl may be headed to the D-League to coach the Texas Legends. Good or bad idea?/AP Photo.

Bruce Pearl’s coaching career my be taking at detour to the D-League.

Fired in March at the University of Tennessee for lying to NCAA investigators about recruiting violations, Pearl has been offered the Texas Legends’ head coaching job. Reports are suggesting he  may get $500,000 a season.

Trust me, if he gets paid that much, it will only be for one season. I know the Legends have an 1-on-1 affiliation with the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks, but hey, they can’t throw dollars around like that for a guy who isn’t directly impacting the NBA franchise.

Dollars aside, the question is could he coach in the D-League?

The answer is yes, but how well is the second question. He’d face a whole different dynamic in the D-League. Players get no more than $30,000 and if they’re being coached by someone pulling in $500,000, he better be darn good early or they won’t respect him.

He’d replace Nancy Lieberman, who coached the Legends in their 2010-11 expansion season and stepped down to become the their assistant general manager. Texas went 24-26 under Lieberman and made the playoffs.

Now Pearl, who has been charged by the NCAA with unethical conduct and may face a college coaching ban, won’t get an A in the honesty department, but the guy can coach. He coached UT to an 145-61 record in six seasons.

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