NBA Rumors: Reasons Why Warriors Should Fear Oklahoma City Thunder After It Defeats Spurs

The Golden State Warriors will finally get down to serious business as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference finals beginning Monday, May 16, at Oracle Arena. Spurs used to be the Warriors' strongest contender for the Conference title but after San Antonio succumbed to Oklahoma 4-2, the Golden State may need to do some reckoning why it should fear the Thunder.

Throughout the regular season, the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs appeared to be on a collision course as both geared up for an epic showdown. The two teams were historically seen as the strongest title contenders in the Western Conference finals. Most pundits felt with utmost certainty that both would eventually cross each other's path in the finals. The Warriors certainly fulfilled their destiny by sending the Portland Trail Blazers home in five games despite Curry's absence for most part of semifinals.

While everyone thought that the Spurs will be the Warrior's biggest hindrance to winning a championship repeat, along came the Oklahoma City Thunder led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook by raining down on San Antonio three consecutive wins for a 4-2 series lead.

"We weren't in this position for nothing," said Thunder forward Durant as quoted by USA Today. "I think throughout this season we stood behind who we were as a team." "We weren't in this position for nothing," said Thunder forward Durant as quoted by USA Today. "I think throughout this season we stood behind who we were as a team."

What many analysts find surprising is that even with the Spurs' franchise-best 67 wins seemed to have disappeared after losing to Oklahoma, leaving the rumbling Thunder to fight the Warriors in its stead. But it doesn't mean it'll less difficult for MVP Curry-led Warriors to get past them for a shot at the NBA finals. As per NBA.Com, Monday will mark the first time the two teams face each other off in the playoffs since 1992.

Now that Spurs' preseason hype and the epic Warriors-Spurs showdown are all going down the drain, the historic disappointment shouldn't be as bad as it seems. After all the Thunder could still give the Warriors a wonderful showdown too. Here's why the Warriors should fear the Thunder as per Mercury News analysis:

1. OKC is good at bouncing back. When they suffered a humiliating defeat by Spurs in Game 1, they turned the tide with vengeance by winning three games in a row leading up to 4-2 lead.

2. In terms of home-court advantages, Thunder's went 32-9 at home compared to Warriors 39-2. While facing a frenzied crowd in OKC back in February, Warriors really had to go deep with Stephen Curry doing some heroic stunts for a tie-breaking win.

3. In their match-up with Spurs, the Thunder was playing hard on oldies that made San Antonio's core roster. Father age is catching up on Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. That makes Spurs' chances of beating the Warriors extremely difficult. In Thunder's case most of its youthful players could surely keep up with the Warriors.

4. Warriors don't have the biggies that OKC has in Steven Adams and Enes Kanter. Andrew Bogut's uncertain status and less-than-full Draymond Green will make Warriors' lineup less effective.

5. When it comes to power duo, Thunder has Durant and Westbrook to neutralize Curry and Klay Thompson.

Despite Thunder's surprising win over Spurs along with their overflowing confidence, do they have enough firepower to get past MVP Stephen Curry and his band of Warriors? We'll all get answers when the showdown begins on Monday.