Reasons I’d go with the Mavs:
1) Shaq. Say the Mavs trot out a starting five of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry, and Devin Harris. Who is Shaq going to guard? If they try this, and I’m almost sure we’ll see it at some point, and the Mavs get hot and hit a few shots in a row, can they force the Heat to play major minutes without their best player on the floor? See Shaq, Part II, below.
2) Versatility, This is the beauty of the Mavs. If they need to go big, they’ve got Erick Dampier and Gana Diop to guard Shaq. I’m not saying they’ll look him up or anything, but… that’s a reasonable two-some at the 5-spot. The Heat are who they are, and they’re not going to change their game much. The Mavericks have the luxury of trying things out, seeing what’s working, and going with whatever’s working best.
3) Avery Johnson, It seems pretty common to assume that Pat Riley can rely on his previous championship experience here, giving the Heat an edge in the coaching department, but… I’m going the other way. This goes along with #2. The game now is not the same game at which Pat Riley excelled, and Avery Johnson is at the very forefront of the revolution. I don’t think the Heat are going to have the ability to adapt to the different things the Mavs can throw at them. They have a structured rotation of guys, and no one on the bench who can really come in and change the game or the tempo with their presence.
4) Depth. They have it. Miami does not. And both teams have been playing basketball for a looooong time now. Legs are important.
5) Antoine Walker and Jason Williams. Okay, this one’s more personal than it is an actual reason. But I don’t want either of these two bastards to have a ring. Surely, each of them would wear it everywhere they want, believing that they were the reason that the Heat won. This is the same child who, a year ago, was taking a pen out of a writer’s hand and saying, “You ain’t writin’ nothin’, homeboy.” And he could get a ring? I can’t accept that. I just don’t want a volume shooter and a homeboy-pen-stealer to have championships. That would bother me.
Reasons I’d go with the Heat:
1) Shaq, Part II. Of course, there’s an opposite side to this. If the Mavs roll with the afore-mentioned unit of five, how do they defend Shaq? Probably with Dirk behind him, standing there and not moving, hoping to avoid foul trouble, with a quick double team coming and trying to pressure Shaq into getting rid of the ball, or stripping him. We shall see.
2) Tight Defense. The Heat played outstanding defense in the Detroit series (though I’d still contend that the Pistons made it pretty easy on them). Detroit had to work to get open shots, and Miami kept the lane pretty much sealed off. Their rotations are good, they’re quick to close out on shooters, and everyone appears to be buying into a defensive commitment.
3) Erick Dampier. For whatever the reasons, it’s a personal hobby of Shaq’s to abuse Erick Dampier. I don’t know why but Shaq seems to really loathe the guy… he called him soft, said he played “like Erick Dampier” after a bad game, and said that the only league Dampier could dominate would be the WNBA. I believe he sometimes also closes his eyes and pictures Erick Dampier when banging groupies on the road. Shaq’s hatred of Erick Dampier should be good for at least one win in the series.
Who I’m going with:
Mavs in five.
Jeff Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 9:41 am
There’s totally some sexual tension between Shaq and Erick Dampier. This series is going to be much like the finale of Grey’s Anatomy.
Dave's Football Blog Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 10:40 am
Shaq’s getting fired up for this series by watching this video and imagining himself as the shredder and Dirk as the BMW.
UC Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 11:40 am
There is no way the Heat wins only one game or less. No freakin’ way. Dallas may win the series but Miami isn’t going out like that.
Shaq? Wade? Come on now.
max power Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
If there’s any kind of justice in this world the one truly deserving player on either team will get a ring. That player – Alonzo Mourning, so… Heat in 6.
Mark Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
In five? I like the Mavs too, but I think it will go seven.
Andy Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 1:03 pm
Don’t forget the extremely sketchy 2-3-2 schedule the Finals always has. The underdog is practically never able to capitalize on their home games when all three of them are played in a row.
Mavs go up 3-1, then finish it in Dallas in 6.
maybe Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
1) Shaq–if Dallas rolls out the small line-up, the Heat switch to a match-up zone.. they ran multiple zones during the Det series. Further, with the Diop/Dampier duo– who does Shaq guard? NOBODY. Its essentially 4 on 5, and the Heat clog the lane, limiting the effectiveness of Harris & Terry.
4) Depth–Mourning, Payton, Posey come off the bench. I dont understand how that is NO depth. Especially when it is DEFENSIVE DEPTH. Also, when Payton and Posey are on the floor, Dallas’s D stays stretched. The Mavs depth is superior, but it is very different– Van Horn is a defensive liability. Griffin/Dampier are offensively retarded.
Mavs in 5? Probably a bit much–but you are going out on a limb, so you get 2 points for that.
E Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
Max, the one truly deserving player on either team to get a ring is Alonzo Mourning? Why? If you ask me (a Nets fan), he’s the one dick - more than JWill - that DOESN”T deserve a ring. I’m rooting for the Mavs for one reason: because Zo is on the Heat. (And yes, I’m aware of the double-standard that I root against a guy who quit playing for my team while rooting for a guy (VC) who quit playing for another team.)
Laurence Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 2:47 pm
Championship teams don’t typically consist an entire roster of players who deserve a ring, but it’s not about who deserves to win. It’s easy to let indivdual players influence who you route for. There are a lot arrogant, unlikeable players in this year’s Finals - Zo, Shaq, JWill, Walker, Stackhouse and Terry. But their doing something right, having made it this far. The team that wants it most will win and they will be deserving of a ring. Anyways, Mavs in seven because there’s no answer for Dirk.
max power Says:
June 7th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
E,
its not so much a double standard as it is being a hypocrite, but I can see where’d you’d hate Zo so much as opposed, too, say, no-talent crybabies like Kenyon Martin, talented crybabies like VC, wife beaters – Jason Kidd, and chauffeur killers – Jayson Williams.
JT Says:
June 8th, 2006 at 1:14 am
I have to concurr with E (not about the Nets, but Zo) except i’d add that he was part of that Vince trade, and then refused to even report to Toronto, claiming that he wasn’t physically fit to play. Now he’s the 6th man for a championship contender and even started when Shaq went down for his prerequisite games during the season.
He quit on TWO teams until he got to ride Shaq’s coattails for a chance at the ‘chip.
I’m prepared for the “who the hell would report to Toronto” jokes.
Rob Says:
June 8th, 2006 at 4:53 pm
Not to gang up on E, but remember that Vince once put his graduation ahead of a Game 7 against Philly. He wanted to get love at the university he ditched to go pro early instead of preparing with his teammates for a big game.
I do agree on Zo though. I love him for leading Charlotte to its first ever playoff series win, but screw ‘em for playing for the Heat.
Mavs in 5. Sorry Shaq.
E Says:
June 8th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
Just to be clear, I wasn’t saying that I could defend any OF Vince’s actions. Just that I could root for him since he didn’t screw over my team.
Consensus on this board seems to be that people agree with me that Zo is not worth rooting for either. Max, I didn’t see you explain why Zo is “deserving a ring.” He had an illness and while he came back to be a good player, he did it with zero class. Cuban probably deserves a ring more than Zo does.
As for my team having no-talent crybabies, talented crybabies, wife beaters and chauffeur killers – well, that can probably be said about most teams in most sports over the last 10 years. (OK, maybe not chauffeur killers, but that was post-retirement.) I try to take personal lives out of the equation when following sports — Zo’s offense was against the team, not his wife or a limo driver. So that makes it worse. Enjoy Game 1 everyone!