NBA FINALS PREVIEW

Let’s get ready to rumble. The Dallas Mavs and Miami Heat played in the NBA Finals 5 years ago. The best player on that Dallas team was Dirk Nowitzki and although he won an MVP the season after that Finals appearance it is arguable that today he is playing the best basketball of his Hall of Fame career. He is playing SO well there have been debates as to whether he is better than one Larry Bird, however that debate should end faster than it started. The point is Dirk is playing at an All Time great level. The best player on that Heat team that beat Dallas to win the NBA Championship was Finals MVP Dwayne Wade. Wade had one of the most dominant Finals performances in the history of the NBA but today Wade is not even the best player on his team. That distinction belongs to Lebron James. James is the most complete player in today's game and perhaps ever. He can rack up points from anywhere on the court and can lock up MVP's (ask Derrick Rose) and make them look extremely bad in the process but what makes James so special is his ability to get his teammates easy baskets. Make no mistake about it, these are the two best teams in the NBA and they will put it all on the line starting tonight. Since it appears the undefeated Money Mayweather is not likely to agree to a bout with the great Manny Pacquioa this Finals tilt should provide all the excitement and drama of a big time fight: THE SPARRING SESSION:

J.J. Berea vs. Mario Chalmers - Chalmers can hit teams with an occasional jab but Berae has shown knockout power ask the two time defending champs. DECISION: BEREA BY KO.

American Airlines Center vs. U.S. Airlines Arena - South beach or Southfork. I am going to go with the Arena that has the most to cheer about. The ocean of white will outshine the sea of blue after all this is year one of the "Heatles" era and they are already playing for a championship. DECISION: U.S. AIRLINES ARENA BY UNANIMOUS DECISION.

THE UNDERCARD:

Jason Kidd vs. Dwayne Wade - Kidd has been to the Finals two times in his career and lost both times. He was unfortunate to catch 2 legendary players in their primes. Shaquille O'Neal and Tim Duncan were the Finals MVP's in Kidd's title series appearances. Once again Kidd is in an unenviable position by playing against a 26 year old 2 time league MVP. Wade who is already a top 5 player is in the drivers seat by having James as an ally. DECISION: WADE BY KO.

Mark Cuban vs. Pat Riley - Slick Pat has pulled off the greatest coupe in the history of the NBA. He was involved in getting the generations best player to play with one of the generations best players for the foreseeable future. Mark Cuban has taken a Pips role to the Dallas Gladys Knight impression and has rode the midnight train to the Finals. By the time this movie is finished we will realize that three stars shine brighter than one and a fading one. DECISION: RILEY BY UNANIMOUS DECISION.

THE MAIN EVENT:

Rick Carlisle vs. Eric Spoelstra - Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau won NBA coach of the Year but that award could have easily gone to Rick Carlisle. Despite losing his second best player (Caron Butler) Carlisle has managed his rotation brilliantly and in the playoffs outcoached everyone he has been matched up again. Spoelstra, meanwhile, has quietly made adjustments many of the casual Heat observers would not recognized but they have worked to perfection. DECISION: DRAW.

Dirk Nowitzki vs. LeBron James - This is a battle of two of the games most unique talents. Titan against Titan. LeBron has been the "Chosen One" since his High School games were being televised on ESPN and Dirk has been one of the top 5 offensive players in this millennium. The balance of power on this heavyweight scale tips in the favor of the player who has turned into the best defensive player in the game. DECISION: LeBron BY UNANIMOUS DECISION.

THE DECISION:

When the smoke clears and the dust settles Miami has 3 star players and Dallas has 1. Miami has 3 of the top 4 players in the series, Dallas has 7 of the top 10. Dallas is 12-3 in the playoffs including a sweep of the two time champion Lakers. Miami has won each of it's 3 playoff series in five games including a defeat of the Celtics who were the champions prior to L.A.'s two year title run. Both teams closed out their conference finals opponents on the road and have each lost just one game at home in the entire playoffs. As far as momentum coming into the Finals this matchup is about as even as it gets. The difference in this series will come down to who wants it more. Does Bosh have the desire to be a champion more than 2 times Finals loser Jason Kidd? Do former Conference Finalists Mike Bibby or Shawn Marion have enough left in the tank to go all out for the title that has eluded them in the past? Who will be the "unexpected big shot maker" of the 2011 Finals Peja or Jones? I think these Finals will belong to D. Wade and Mr. James. They may go down as the most lethal 1, 2 punch the basketball world has ever seen. Wade will be raring to go against a Dallas defense who will not pay nearly as much attention to him as Chicago did. As much as I love the Mavs and how impressive they have been this postseason I am going to have to go with the team that CAN get stops when they need them. I am going to go with the team that has the best player in the series and the best player on earth. In October I wrote http://www.thehoopsforum.com/gm117.aspx so I am going to go with Miami IN 6.

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