Although these teams met in the FInals just five short years ago, only two players remain from each team - Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry for Dallas and Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem for Miami. After that series in 2006, Nowitzki said Dallas basically gave the series away to which Dwyane Wade took exception and stated that Nowitzki was the reason Dallas lost. That should add a little extra juice to this match-up. Here is a preview.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Miami Heat
Season Series - Dallas leads 2-0
Looking at this series, both teams come in on a tremendous roll. Each team has lost just three playoff games this season, while winning 12 to get to this point.
For Miami, their strength is the big three of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh. James has been spectacular at both ends while Bosh has really stepped up in the playoffs after a subpar regular season. Wade has struggled shooting the ball but has still made big plays to help the team win. Their lack of a supporting cast has been talked about all year but lately, Udonis Haslem's return and Mike Miller's improved contribution have given the Heat a much needed boost.
For Dallas, it all starts with Dirk Nowitzki, the toughest cover in the league. Big guys can't guard him on the perimeter and shorter guys he can just shoot over the top of. You can't double him either because that opens up all their three-point shooters. Dallas clearly has the depth advantage on Miami. They have six or seven guys who can go for 15+ on any given night. Another edge they have is that they move the ball extremely well, while MIami is at times very much a one on one team.
Dirk Nowitzki and Lebron James have been the two best players in this post-season and this series may very well come down to which one plays better. The difference being that James is a two-way player who has turned himself into an excellent defender. He gave MVP Derrick Rose fits in the last series. Meanwhile Dirk has improved defensively but he will never be a great defender. All this means that if DIrk is dominating offensively, Lebron will likely take on the challenge of guarding him where as Dirk would have no chance of guarding Lebron at the other end. Plus, he will have enough trouble guarding Chris Bosh.
Dirk is hungry for a ring, he wants it badly for his legacy. The problem is, so does Lebron. Lebron came to Miami because he felt he needed more help to win a championship and he's got it. Dwyane Wade is a top 5 player in the NBA and Chris Bosh is probably top 15 or 20. All three of those guys are also in their prime. For Dallas, Dirk does not have another top 30 player on his team. He is playing with a bunch of aging players in Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and Peja Stojakovic. This is where that catches up to Dallas as they will be unable to keep up with the younger, more athletic Miami team.
Prediction: Heat in 6
Frank Leal - I have a B.A. from Rutgers University. I always enjoyed writing papers and articles, especially about sports. I took a sports writing ...
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