Is there any sort of way this series ends in a draw so neither of these undeserving teams win a championship?
I voted Miami because I had to. It would be entirely too painful to acknowledge the possibility that the Mavericks could win an NBA championship.
Shaq has had a monster record against Mavs. All they need is a healthy Wade. Dirk will get calls for being Dirk, but they should let him get his points and bang him up. Make him want to shoot 3s.... It looks like Josh Howard will get a lot of shots. He will take them, and I think his performance will determine whether the Heat will win it in 5 games or 6.
Dallas will reach their peak by winning the title this year but immediately fall into a decline next season. They will be sunk in depravity in the next 10 years unless they get rid of their JJ (Josh & Jason). ~~anonymous fortune-telling master
Rest and health IS important to the Heat. The Mavs are deep, rest doesn't matter much to them. However worn down Heat could lose to the Mavs, but that doesn't look like it is happening. Sorry Dirk is a great player, but I'll take Haslem/Posey/Walker/Zo versus him over Dallas's centers vs Shaq or anybody versus Wade. Haslem and Posey are both good defensive players and Walker can make Dirk work defensively. I will say this if Dirk plays great offensively, Howard plays great defense versus Wade (forget any other Mav having a prayer 1 on 1), and Diop plays great defense versus Shaq (ditto, Shaq destroys Dampier because he is stronger and quicker), the Mavs have a chance. Howard showed flashes (though I personally think he is too stupid not to foul out playing Wade more than 20 minutes) and Diop showed flashes versus Duncan, but they are going to have to sustain in such a long time. I don't see it over a multigame series at all. Personally, the more shots Harris and Stack take versus Wade the bigger the hole Dallas is going to get. TC, I don't know which Wade you have been watching for 2 years now. The one I have seen has been the most unstoppable guard in the playoffs, whose only derail over 2 years was an injury. Heck, Prince/Rip/Hunter couldn't handle him for 2 year. Howard is Dallas's only shot, but he has a tendency for dumb fouls, we will see. Well, Miami handled the best team this year and two time defending EC champs a heck of a lot easier than Dallas handled the Spurs (who looked very vulnearble to the mediocre Kings the series before, and yes the Spurs did look old and slow except for Parker), or even the Suns--who almost were 1st round fodder themselves. Dallas didn't look good at all versus the very talent challenged Suns. A_3PO, pretty much my sentiments. Like I said not only does Dirk have to play great (and Miami has lots of guys to make him work on both ends) but Howard and Diop have to sustain superb play defensively. I don't see the Mavs stopping the Heat (better defenses like the Det and Chi didn't come close to doing it), the Heat are a good defensive team, and Dallas has shown they can go in offensive funks (out shot by SA and Phx).
For those who honestly think Diop/Dampier are going to contain Shaq, have y’all been watching any Mav playoff games this yr? Defensively, who have those two contained? Pau got 20 and 7 on em in round 1. A gimpy Duncan got 32 and 12 on them in round 2 (on 56%). Diaw got 24 and 9 against them in round 3. Yet they are gonna stop Shaq? The Mavs swingmen can contain D-Wade? Would this be the same Wade that ripped T.Prince and the Pistons a new one in the conf finals (27 on 62%)? If the Nets swingmen of Kidd, Carter & Jefferson couldn’t tire Wade out (28 during that series), then what makes you think the Mavs swingmen can? If you wanna argue that Dallas can let those 2 get theirs, stop everyone else and win then I might agree with you. But don’t predict a Mavs win via them stopping one of those 2, because no one on their teams can (similar to how no one on Miami can stop Dirk). For Dallas to win, Dirk and someone else will have to play out of their minds, and they better shoot well over 50% in the games that they win. The Mavs were able to control the paint against the Spurs (because they decided to play small) and the Suns (because they are small), and that led to tons of 2nd chance points. That won’t work against Miami. The Spurs lost because Duncan didn’t get perimeter help every game, but they still couldn’t stop Tim. I don’t see them stopping Shaq and no one is going to be able to keep Wade from the rim. Similar to Kobe in LA’s glory days, you can’t leave Shaq to help on him when he’s driving. Miami in 6.
Dallas and their "high powered offense" is complete crap. Hakeem & Co. would of beat them 82 games in a row, with 50 blocks a game.
Wow, 65% to 34% for the Heat! How can that many people be wrong? Should be an entertaining and close series, but the homecourt is huge, 2-3-2. Plus, Dallas can slow down Wade, the Heat have no real answer for Dirk. The old retreads, Walker, Payton, and company will fade.
i'm surprised that so many think the heat will win. i think the biggest matchup issue in this series will be the overall team speed and depth advantage the mavs possess. i don't like either team but i think the mavs will take it.
You'll see. When the game gets to this stage, everything slows down. Miami is going to have the throttle choked off, negating most of Dallas' team speed. By the way, Miami is no slouch when it comes to speed either, if they have to run. But we're going to get a belly full of walk-it-up with Wade. Then dribble it down with Wade and Shaq playing the 2 man game. Then comes the penetration and finish. This will NOT be an up and down run and gun series. Run outs on turnovers mostly and long jumpers and expect those to be few and far between. On the defensive end, I would suspect Miami sticks Haslem and a perimeter help defender on Dirk, probably in a basic matchup zone or zone and 1 with the closest perimeter defender helping and forcing Dirk to give up the basketball or take contested shots. Miami would prefer for Terry and Howard to beat them. They will force Dirk to give up the bball and then Terry and Howard will either have to settle for the long jumpers or take it to the paint and deal with Shaq and Alonzo contesting. What everyone is forgetting about the Heat is what an absolute defensive monster Alonzo is. Playing with Shaq allows him to go all out for the defensive stops and not have to worry about fouls. Zo is the best defensive center in the game today, and it's not even close. All that driving to the rim that Dirk and Co. did to Phoenix was good but it isn't going to work against Miami. Miami has 11 fouls of HIGHLY CONTESTED paint defense to throw at Dallas in the form of Shaq and Zo before they have to worry about Big Diesel not being on the floor. They're going to play the classic boa constrictor. Lure Dallas into the paint with Howard and Terry early while Shaq plays off and doesn't contest, giving Dallas some easy buckets early in the contest and lulling them to sleep thinking they can go in there anytime. And getting the ball into Shaq on the offensive end, so he can have an early feeding frenzy, and force Dallas' substandard big men into foul trouble and get into the penalty early in the quarters. Then comes the 2nd half, and they start to tighten things down, forcing the ball out of Dirk's hands more and more and forcing Terry and Howard to take it inside for the meeting with Shaq/Zo. This is the Finals baby. Where every possession counts, where it turns into an endurance contest. Just to be extremely specific. Miami has the best interior defense.......by far. And Miami has the best interior offense.....by far. Dirk won't even be the best player on the floor this series. This is Shaq and Kobe revised act II with the addition of Bill Russell and a better supporting cast. After it's over, we will have renewed confidence that Van Gundy's style of play really is the way to go come playoff time.
As much as I hate the Mavs, I think they will win...I really thought whoever won the Spurs/Mavs match was going to win the title... There will be a lot of partying going on up here...
Couldn't beleive so many ppl voted Dallas out. The Heat wins are just not convincing enough yet, as Piston offense has been struggling from the Cleveland series.
