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NBA Matchup #2: 2012-13 Miami Heat vs. 2016-17 Golden State Warriors

With the addition of Kevin Durant, the Warriors have become a "superteam." They've created one of the best lineups in NBA history, with arguably the two best shooters of all time in the backcourt, a superstar in Kevin Durant at small, and Draymond Green, the triple-double machine, at power forward.

Thinking of past superteams, I think of LeBron James and the 2012-13 Miami Heat. Not only was their roster headed by one of the greatest NBA players of all time, they added a superstar Dwyane Wade, as well as the talented Chris Bosh. Not only that, they had Ray Allen coming off the bench, who is also one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.

So which superteam wins? The one with potentially the best scoring lineup in NBA history, or the one headed by one of the greatest players of all time, backed up by a strong bench? Let's find out.

We will be using WhatIfSports's NBA SimMatchup Basketball Tool, which allows us to simulate games between NBA teams, also providing a play-by-play game summary. We will simulate a best of 7 series between the Warriors and Heat. I have updated the Warriors' roster to resemble their roster for the 2016-17 NBA season.

Note: This simulation is the outcome projected by the NBA SimMatchup Tool, not my predicted outcome.

Game 1 (Oracle Arena)
The first game takes place in Oracle Arena, the home of the Warriors. In this game, LeBron puts up a strong performance with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Wade and Bosh also combine to put up 33 points of their own. However, the Heat bench doesn't step up as much as they should have, as Shane Battier (9 points) led the bench in points. The Warriors outplay the Heat, as Kevin Durant leads all players in scoring and rebounding with 28 points and 12 rebounds. The Splash Brothers combine to score 45 points, just enough to sneak by the Heat in Game 1. The Heat would rally from the three-point line towards the end, but it just wasn't enough.
Warriors: 100
Heat: 96

Game 2 (Oracle Arena)
Chris Bosh takes the reins of the Heat in this game, leading the team with 26 points. LeBron and Dwyane Wade also combine to score 40, a terrific performance from both. The Heat bench also stepped up this game, with decent performances from Ray Allen, Norris Cole, and Chris Anderson. However, their effort falls short once again, due to Stephen Curry's excellent playmaking. Curry would score 28 points, and also put up 14 assists and 6 rebounds. Kevin Durant would almost have a triple-double, with 32 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Draymond and Klay would combine for 28 points. The Warriors scoring lineup takes a big lead in the series, by winning Game 2.
Warriors: 126
Heat: 115

Game 3 (American Airlines Arena)
In Game 3, the Miami Heat would finally step up and bring their all to the game. Dwyane Wade has a huge game, scoring 36 points, in addition to his 9 assists and 7 rebounds. LeBron James would nearly have a triple-double, scoring 16 points, and grabbing 10 rebounds and 8 assists. Chris Bosh would also score 14 points. Kevin Durant had a strong performance, with 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Stephen Curry would also help out with 24 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. A late game comeback would fall short, when Dwyane Wade would knock down a free throw to top off his amazing performance.
Heat: 117
Warriors: 113

Game 4 (American Airlines Arena)
In Game 4, the Miami Heat would look to build on their momentum. LeBron would score 17 points, but would lead the team with 12 rebounds. Dwyane Wade would score 20, and Chris Bosh would score 22, in a crucial game for Miami. However, the Warriors would answer back. Kevin Durant would score 34 points, also grabbing 8 rebounds and 4 assists on the way. The Splash Brothers would combine to score 44 to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this series.
Warriors: 105
Heat: 96

Game 5 (Oracle Arena)
In Game 5, the Warriors would look to eliminate LeBron James and the Heat, who were looking for a win. LeBron would have a monster performance, with 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists. Chris Bosh would show up as well, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Wade would have 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Kevin Durant would show up in this game as well, with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists. Curry would score 17 points and have 9 assists, and Klay would have 15 points. Draymond would stay quiet, only scoring 9 points. However, in this game, LeBron's triple-double would be enough to force a Game 6.
Heat: 111
Warriors: 104

Game 6 (American Airlines Arena)
In Game 6, LeBron James and the Miami Heat would truly step up, taking their game to the next level. LeBron would have another triple-double, with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Chris Bosh leads all players in scoring with 22 points, adding to his 11 rebounds. Wade would score 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ray Allen would finally show up, scoring 17 points off the bench. The Warriors would fall short in this game. Durant would only score 15 points, but would also have 10 rebounds. Curry and Thompson would combine to score 37 points, but the rest of the team couldn't help out. Draymond Green has another less-than-spectacular game, with only 7 points and 8 rebounds. The Heat blow out the Warriors at home, forcing a Game 7.
Heat: 111
Warriors: 83

Game 7 (Oracle Arena)
In the final game of this series, both teams would look to bring their all. LeBron James would have a huge game, with 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Chris Bosh would score 16 points and have 9 rebounds, and Dwyane Wade would score 19 and have 8 assists. In general, the Big 3 of Miami would have a strong performance. Kevin Durant would fire back with a triple-double, with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Splash Brothers would also combine to score 36 points, and Draymond would again only have 8 points. David West would have a strong game, with 13 points and 11 rebounds. However, in the end, the Miami Heat would prevail, going on 16-4 point run in the last 4 minutes.
Heat: 108
Warriors: 94

Finals MVP: LeBron James (22.6 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 8.0 APG)

This surprising victory from the Big 3 came from a consistent scoring performance from Bosh, Wade, and James. The Warriors would also do well, but nobody on their team seemed to rebound as well as the Heat. Would this victory from the Heat actually happen? Who knows? 

Once again, this is not my prediction, but a simulation brought to you by WhatIfSports's NBA SimMatchup Basketball Tool. 

I do not endorse, own, or claim to own the SimMatchup Tool by WhatIfSports. I am simply a user.

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