The Final Countdown

NBA Finals: (2) Heat vs (3) Mavericks
It all comes down to this. After weeks months of playoff basketball, the NBA Finals mercifully tip-off tonight in the Sunshine State. Miami hosts Dallas in what should be an epic series for the Larry O'Brian trophy. The Heat rolled over the 76ers, Celtics, and Bulls en route to the Finals, while the Mavs knocked off the Trailblazer, Lakers, and Thunder to get there. The stars have really aligned for this one as three of the sport's top 10 stars will be on the court. On paper, you couldn't really ask for a better series. There are story lines galore and the NBA should be ecstatic with the match up. Let's break down the championship chances for the Heat and Mavericks.



There have been no shortage of posts on this particular blog about the machine that is the Miami Heat. See Here and Here. And with good reason. They have simply looked like a juggernaut since the post-season began. This should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody. Following "The Decision" Miami said that they were going to win multiple championships. At the time, we scoffed at them and called the new "Big Three" arrogant. Deep down we hoped they were wrong. Unfortunately for the Heat haters, this team could be the lord of the rings when all is said and done. It's scary to think how quickly they've gelled. Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, are a scary trio of superstars still in their primes and they are clearly going to be a handful for the Mavs, not only on the offensive end, but defensively as well. So what can Dallas do?

Well, for as good as the "Big Three" have looked lately, no one has been better in the playoffs than Dirk Dowitzki. The unstoppable seven-foot force has been simply unguardable. From a scoring perspective, he's been unmatched by his peers and he's going to be a match up nightmare for the Heat as well. The issue for Dallas is getting other players to get on Dirk's level. You're never sure on a game-to-game basis who's going to do it, but in their three previous series somebody's always stepped up. Whether it be Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, or even JJ Barea. Depth is definitely not a problem for Dallas and they should get the edge in that category. This can be a streaky team though, and that could pose a problem with Miami's stifling defense staring them right in the face. It's going to be important for the Mavericks to establish a rhythm from the get go. If they can create openings and limit the Heat's other players outside of the "Big Three", I really think they've got a good chance. I definitely wouldn't be surprised to see the Mavs pull off the mini-upset, but my gut instinct is to stick with my original pick and go with the Heat. Prediction: Heat in 7. 

by Andy Adamson