TNT's Steve Kerr surprised by Thunder's “fantastic” start after James Harden trade

I think what will be interesting to see if Scott Brooks plays a little differently and scales down and plays his smaller lineup more often than he did in the Finals last year. I just felt like (Nick) Collison would be more effective in that series than (Kendrick) Perkins. It's always easy when you're sitting in the comfort of the broadcaster's seat to say your peace and move on. Scott has to live with whatever decision he makes and he's got a great feel for his team. My feeling is that they would not have beaten San Antonio without Perkins and his defense on (Tim) Duncan, but that they would have been better served playing Collison more than Perkins against Miami.

Does it really matter who wins this early in the season?

It doesn't decide anything obviously. When you're a championship contender, there are always a few key games during the course of the regular season that you point to and you kind of want to set the tone. Those are the games where you might be facing a potential Finals foe. I think it's important for Oklahoma City to play well and maybe win the game to give Miami a little reminder about what what's waiting for them.