Outside of those who reside in the greater Miami area, I don’t know of anyone that wants to see the Heat win the NBA championship, mostly because of their personal dislike of LeBron James.
When King James announced his decision last summer to sign with Miami, the clock started ticking towards this moment.
While there were times throughout the season where it looked as if Miami might falter and not even reach the finals, they found a way to play up to their expectations when it mattered most.
Now that the Heat have achieved what many NBA fans feared they would do, there’s one last team to hang our hopes upon.
Before our national nightmare begins with the vision of James hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy over his head, tears streaming down his face while thanking himself for being so great, the Dallas Mavericks stand between that Rolaids moment and sweet vindication.
Anyone who doesn’t believe the Mavericks can beat James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and those other guys that play for the Heat, you better think again.
Dallas has exactly what Boston and Chicago didn’t have that will cause Miami to lose the series. And what exactly do the Mavericks have that will have James storming off the court blaming everyone but himself for losing the finals?
To begin, Dallas has Dirk Nowitzki. No one has found an answer to stop him during the Mavericks’ run to the finals and no matter what Miami tries to do defensively, they aren’t going to stop Nowitzki either.
The Heat will put Bosh on Nowitzki hoping he can neutralize him, but that’s pure fantasy.
Bosh can’t handle Nowitzki, so the Heat will be forced to try doubling him. But Dallas coach Rick Carlisle knows this and will have the floor spaced to open up the Mavericks dangerous three-point shooters.
Carlisle’s impact can’t be emphasized enough either, possessing a tactical advantage over Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.
The Heat reached the finals because of their talent, not because of the coaching prowess of Spoelstra. When the chess match begins, Carlisle will own Spoelstra.
Many have talked about the Heat’s defensive efforts against the Bulls, but those efforts aren’t going to work against Dallas. While Chicago was offensively challenged throughout their series with Miami, the Mavericks have no such worries.
The Heat won’t be able to focus all of their attention on one player like they did with the Bulls’ Derrick Rose. Miami will be forced to respect multiple players when they square off against Dallas.
From the playmaking ability of Jason Kidd to the peskiness of J.J. Barea, Miami has no answer for the Mavericks’ point guards.
Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers are going to struggle keeping Kidd and Barea from driving the lane or spotting up for open three’s, giving Dallas an opportunity to put points on the board without depending on Nowitzki.
James may be able to keep Shawn Marion from slashing to the rim as much as he done thus far in the playoffs, but Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony don’t match up well with Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood.
Chandler and Haywood have more muscle than any players the Heat have had to deal with thus far, and while they aren’t counted on for a lot of offense, their presence will open things up for the three point shooters.
Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry will prove to be the difference in the series. Stojakovic is admittedly a defensive liability for the Mavericks, but he and Terry prevent Nowitzki from being double teamed for long.
When Terry is on he can rain in shots from anywhere on the court, and regardless of which player Spoelstra chooses to defend him “the jet” will ultimately be the man who helps Dallas win the title.
Nowitzki’s presence alone isn’t enough to win a championship, but the combination of their superior guard play, their bench and three-point shooting advantages will prevent King James and the Heat from reaching the promised land.
So all together now, take a deep breath, put away the Rolaids and relax. The Dallas Mavericks will defeat the Miami Heat in six games to win the NBA championship.
