Entering the 2006 NBA playoffs, many analysts were predicting a repeat of last year’s finals series, which would have marked the first repeat championship matchup since Utah Jazz guard John Stockton was blinding people with his super white legs in 1997-98. However, it was not meant to be. The Spurs went down in the second round and the Pistons weren’t as good as they thought, making Rasheed Wallace’s championship belt as good as a cracker-jack prize.
Now we are left with the prospect of two teams in their first NBA finals, meaning a new champion, a new potential dynasty and a new excuse for procrastination.
NBA Finals
Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks
While the team names might be new, some of the faces are still the same. Mavericks head coach Avery Johnson hit the series-clinching shot in game five of the 1999 NBA finals for the Spurs. Miami head coach Pat Riley has won five titles, one as a player with the Lakers in 1972 and four as their head coach. Heat center Shaquille O’Neal has three rings and Heat guard Shandon Anderson is such a douchebag that you’d think he’s won a couple, even though he hasn’t.
On paper, the Mavericks seem to have a lot of advantages. They beat the Heat twice during the regular season, once by an astonishing 36 points. The Mavs also held the Heat to their lowest percentage of three-point shooting, total and offensive rebound output and fewest second-chance and bench points in a game. Boasting a deeper and more versatile team, the Mavericks will be able to play at a faster pace than Miami prefers and keep upbeat and fresh defenders on the court. Defense used to be as unattractive to the Dallas Mavericks as buying anything that’s not on sale is for my dad, but Johnson, the “Little General,” has been able to get his players to march to the beat of a different drum.
Despite their versatility, the Mavs obviously can’t match up with the Heat at two key positions. Even if Ronaldo Blackman came out of retirement and ripped off his coaching suit to play one last series, the Maverick guards can’t contain Dwayne Wade. It has become increasingly reasonable in the last few weeks to say that Wade might in fact be better than LeBron James. Now, while that’s just not true, he is in the upper echelon of players. And while his “flu game” was nowhere near Michael Jordan’s performance in the 1997 finals, it does further add to a mystique that the young guard from Marquette University has been able to handle with grace and charm. The Heat will also dominate at the center position, where O’Neal, despite losing a step due to age and some laziness, still reigns supreme. Matching up against courageous Dallas center DeSagana Diop might tire Shaq a little and Divac-esque flops will certainly lead to some foul trouble and a less aggressive approach. Yet, once overpriced backup Erick “I’m-the-second-best-center-in-the-league” Dampier steps onto the court, the Diesel will have all the fuel he needs to launch his Shaq attack.
At the other positions, the Mavericks match up extremely well. Antoine Walker’s three-point shimmy is dwarfed by Josh Howard’s all-around game, though Howard’s effectiveness will be tested if he’s forced to switch to Wade and slow down the Flash. Jason Williams is so sweet that they call him White Chocolate and Gary Payton is so mean that they call him to euthanize puppies, but Jason Terry and Devin Harris are more consistent contributors. Like Wade, forward Dirk Nowitzki has no equal on the other team. If Heat power forward Udonis Haslem muscles him inside, he can step out and make Miami pay. However, if the team plays off of Nowitzki, he’s gotten better at driving the lane, especially in clutch time. Now, if Riley were to play Alonzo Mourning and Shaq at the same time, then Dirk might be in a little more trouble, but thus far he has been reluctant to do so.
Ultimately, these teams should provide the antithesis to the excruciating Pistons-Spurs series from a year ago. While the Mavs 36-point win in the regular season shows they can demolish the Heat if they hit their shots, that game was also a huge motivational factor for Miami and led to the team’s own renewed commitment to defense and team basketball. A team named after a James Garner television character gets brownie points over a team named after a weather condition; and I know what Dirk can do and just how motivational the music of David Hasselhoff can be, but Riley’s slicked-back hair helps grease the wheels in Miami’s favor.
Joe Goes With: Heat in 6.
