Ball or Nuthin' » Mavs

Mavs Stun Everyone, Win NBA Title

T Lamont — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:50:58 +0000

That goes to show how much I know. Mark Cuban was absolutely correct with his emotional prediction.

The Dallas Mavericks are your 2011 NBA Champions, ladies and gentlemen. And just like that, the celebration begins as the mischievous plot of the NBA’s NWO (that would be the Miami Heat) is foiled.

After my analysis of Game 1, in no way could I have fathomed that I’d be dissecting how the Heat lost this series five games later.

How did Dallas do it? Here are some of the keys to their first victorious championship series:

Game 2 gave them confidence. Dallas had just lost Game 1, and it seemed that they would not have the horsepower to take down the super talented Miami Heat. Dirk led all scorers in the series opener, but his efforts alone were not going to be enough. And in that first game, Jason Terry and J.J. Barea didn’t show up at all. Couple that with the fact that the Mavs looked to have its fate sealed in the second game, and Dallas’ chances weren’t looking good. But Dallas continued a trend that they had begun against Los Angeles and Oklahoma City – they orchestrated one of the most memorable late game comebacks in route to stealing Game 2 in American Airlines Arena. This confirmed that this was going to be a hard fought battle, and not a showcase for the Big Three.

Chris Bosh was hardly a disappointment for the Heat.

LeBron James displayed his magic. LeBron’s size and skill has earned him comparisons to Earvin “Magic” Johnson, but that ‘magic’ always came up big in the game’s most clutch situations. James, who had spectacular late game heroics in their last two series, found a way to disappear almost each and every game in the critical moments. He’s been the best player in the regular season over the last three years, but he wasn’t even the second-best player on his team in this series (Wade, Bosh – check his efficiency and consistency).

Dirk inspired his teammates. Nowitzki did what he has continued to do for years. The seven-footer has turned awkward shot-making into a science. This unique ability has made him virtually unguardable throughout the years, but, like all of the sport’s best players, his dream could only be accomplished by harnessing the talents of his fellow roster mates. Nowitzki’s Game 1 performance spoke loud and clear to the Heat that he was going to give it all that he had. In the upcoming games, you could see other members of his team slowly getting their games together and becoming contributors. It was as if the shock of being in the spotlight had finally worn off. But it was Dirk’s example that jump-started the Mavericks’ ability to seize the moment.

Dallas gave up very few easy baskets. The Maverick defense set a standard that other teams seemed to shy away from against the Heat. Rick Carlisle instructed his team to keep Miami from making posters, and put them on the line, if necessary. It was a philosophy that ultimately paid off in the series ending game, with the Heat shooting a horrendous 20-33 from the charity stripe.

Cuban is, perhaps, his team's biggest fan.

Mark Cuban stayed the course. Years ago, Cuban seemed to be a very annoying, spoiled millionaire. Pushy, loud, outspoken – all adjectives to describe one of David Stern’s biggest pests. But over time, I think we’ve come to see a different Cuban – one who has an unyielding passion to have a successful team and to bring a championship to his city. He’s clearly one of the biggest ‘owner-fans’ in the league, and there’s a certain bit of charm to his continuous presence at Maverick games. In the summer of 2004, Cuban allowed Steve Nash to leave Dallas. And after he immediately won back-to-back MVP, it appeared that Nash’s individual success proved that the Dallas owner had made an errant decision. But Nash could never get the Suns over the hump into the Finals, and now Nowitzki has just dusted off his second Finals appearance with a series victory. Kudos to Cuban for sticking to his guns and making it work.

LeBron is Looking Like…Scottie Pippen

T Lamont — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:03:35 +0000

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As the Dallas Mavericks have managed to come out of top in two of the last three games – notwithstanding a last-second miss by Dirk Nowitzki that accounted for the one loss – there have been some very interesting developments in these NBA Finals.

We knew that the Mavs would rely heavily on Nowitzki if they were to stand a chance at becoming this year’s champions. And true to that assumption, Dirk has proven that Dallas would be incapable of winning any game without his fourth quarter heroics. Last night, the Diggler only scored 21 points, but 10 of them came in the game’s final nine minutes of regulation.

The home team had some welcomed contributions from Shawn Marion (7-12 FG, 16 points), Tyson Chandler (13 pts, 16 reb), Jason Terry (17 pts) and DeShawn Stevenson (3 3FGM). Adding them to the German’s point total doesn’t yield a high number, but it got the job done in a game that was a defensive dogfight (as has been the rest of the series to date).

Perhaps the most significant statistic revolves around the fourth quarter success of Rick Carlisle’s team. For a team that looks so scrappy and bound by its own limitations for three quarters, they seem to become the opposite during the stretch run of each game. The Mavericks have outscored the Heat in each of the past three contests, winning two games that Miami appeared to have on ice.

Everyone is looking for answers from James.

What’s going wrong for the Heat?

Apparently, Miami is not going to entertain the notion of running some innovative, creative offensive sets to close the game. With points being tough to come by, teams need ball and player movement to overcome intense defensive pressure. But we haven’t seen this from the Heat, and we shouldn’t expect to.

Miami’s defensive intensity has been consistent – for three quarters. It seems as if Dallas has been able to elevate its play to end the game, in a way that appears to be impervious to the Heat’s athletic defenders. Or maybe Carlisle actual designs a manner in which his players can overcome Miami’s defense. Imagine that.

Dwyane Wade is obviously pressing the make things happen. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been brilliant – and his effort last night has given him a slight cushion above Nowitzki as the leading scorer in the Finals. Wade has been bringing it offensively and defensively…all game long.

Chris Bosh has been, well, Chris Bosh. He doesn’t play with strength or toughness, but he has managed to be aggressive enough to be the third-leading scorer in the series…only trailing Wade and Nowitzki.

But hold up…isn’t there somebody missing?

Yes, there is. And he’s been missing for the last three games.

While D-Wade and Bosh have not shied away from their normal levels of offensive activity, LeBron James has. His reluctance to take over should worry the Heat, simply because they rely on the productivity of their Big Three to carry them. Bosh is a whole different story. By nature of his position and demeanor, there’s only so much that Bosh can do late in contests – thus leaving Wade and James with the burden of creating opportunities for themselves of others. But nobody is disappointed with Bosh’s effort. And the tremendous effort that Wade has put forth cannot be overstated.

So, in the midst of all of this…where’s the artist formerly known as King James?

He’s defending his penchant for not being aggressive when his team clearly needs him to. Is he really bragging about his defense on the barely 6-foot tall Jason Terry and the partially-skilled Shawn Marion?

What LeBron doesn’t understand is that nobody is dictating that James be a selfish, arrogant black hole when he gets the rock. One of the attributes that makes LeBron the player that he is is his ability to make players better. He’s proven that he is one of the best at using his physical advantages to make other players on his team productive.

But he has to be aggressive to do that. Using a cop out excuse like “D-Wade had it going” is just not going to cut it. In the final quarter in each of the last three games, Wade clearly needed help and there’s no way that James was naive enough not to realize that.

And as for his rant about being a two-way player – - at this stage of the season, everybody is a two-way player. Or at least, everybody on the court is giving their maximum effort on both ends of the court. Of course, some players have more ability than others in certain aspects of the game. But, nevertheless, a player with weak defensive skills is going to try his best to cover them up, and vice versa.

It’s almost unbearable to watch. A two-time MVP in the prime of his career is deferring to another player, albeit a great one. But, he’s still deferring, and showing no signs of being ashamed about it.

It’s a travesty. It’s not how we wanted the ’Chosen One’ to win a title. Or to lose a title, for that matter.

How ironic is it that Scottie Pippen made news with his remarks comparing James to the legendary Michael Jordan? Just a week later, LeBron is turning us all into believers that his game is reminiscent of one of the Top 50 players of all-time.

It just so happens that it’s not the one that we thought it would be.

Spoelstra, Heat Blow Game 2

T Lamont — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:23:53 +0000

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What can be said about the Dallas Mavericks?

After erasing a 15-point lead with six minutes to go in regulation, last night’s come-from-behind victory was nothing short of epic.

There were lots of heroes. Dirk Nowitzki did his thing late in the game. Jason Terry showed up, giving that Mavs the spark that they needed to complete its game-ending 23-5 run. ‘The Matrix’ put in work with 20 points, 8 boards and plenty of hard work on the defensive side of the court. Even Deshawn Stevenson canned a few early long bombs to get Dallas out of the starting gate.

There were lots of goats. LeBron James dribbled the ball way too much in the fourth quarter. As hot as Dwyane Wade was – and he was scorching – he couldn’t muster anything to put Dallas’ momentum to a halt. Joel Anthony, Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem combined to score a measly two points. And Chris Bosh basically took the night off (as illustrated by his ‘effort’ to guard Dirk in the closing seconds of the game).

With all that said, the game ball for Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals goes to Erik Spoelstra.

In the midst of the Dallas turnaround, I counted five possessions that Miami ran absolutely no offense. LeBron James was simply given the ball, with the assumption that he was going to run down the shot clock and settle for a low-percentage field goal attempt.

Without question, the best way for any team to maintain a lead is through continuing to run and properly executing its offense. Surely, the opposition will increase its intensity at both ends of the floor – specifically getting more aggressive during its offensive possessions. But it was quite clear to observe that the Heat were in ‘run-out-the-clock’ mode, which was absolutely absurd given the fact that the Mavs began their run with more than six minutes remaining.

Spoelstra allowed his players to lose control of a game in which they had a 15-point, fourth quarter lead.

Spoelstra gets the game ball for not being able to command that his troops continue to execute. Minutes before the Dallas run, Miami showed us something that we had rarely seen. LeBron James ran off of a baseline screen – that’s right, James was actually playing off the ball for something other than an alley-oop. He used the screen and had a straight angle to the rim, which he took (and came up short on his layup try). While that doesn’t signify an in-depth analysis on how to stunt Dallas’ run, it’s an example of a play that could have enabled the Heat to hold on enough to emerge as the victors.

It’s understood that the players ultimately determine the outcome of games, but those players have a leader. Spoelstra is the head coach, and he needs to be that leader in these types of situations. Given the swinging momentum at hand, it was his job to command the attention of his players – superstars and role players, alike – and make them realize the importance of running designed formations.

Instead, the Mavericks came up big and have to feel vindicated. They’ve been no strangers to comebacks, as they’ve been able to pull them off against Portland, Los Angeles and, most notably, Oklahoma City. But the truth is that they were fortunate to get this win, especially after watching a second quarter, nine-point advantage dwindle away in less than three minutes.

Prior to the game’s mid-point, Dallas had built the aforementioned margin by controlling the tempo and holding the ‘Big Three’ under wraps. But within this process, the Mavericks had squandered a number of opportunities that would have pushed their lead up to 15 points or more. Then D-Wade happened. What Wade had can only be described as ‘one of those nights.’ The 2006 Finals MVP went ballistic, scoring 20 points in the next 18 minutes of the game, including 3-pointers at both ends of his surge. It was his final triple – the one with which he held what would have been the game’s signature pose – that seemed to be the dagger in the hearts of the visitors.

But it wasn’t. Thanks to a team with a never say die attitude. Thanks to players who lost their aggression during crunch time.

And thanks to a head coach who, in the last half of the final quarter, didn’t coach.

Why Miami Beat Dallas in Game 1

T Lamont — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:39:20 +0000

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Game 1 of the NBA Finals followed a similar script for the Miami Heat – keep the game close through three quarters and let the defense and exploits of the big stars finish off the victory.

The Mavericks should have expected nothing less than what the received in American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night. Both teams were subpar in shooting the basketball, but the difference was that one of the teams had more options than the other.

Let’s look at some of the key reasons that Miami won the series opener:

Dirk’s points were meaningless - In the WCF, Nowitzki was scoring whenever he felt like it. And Dirk was able to silence runs by the Thunder, create runs for the Mavs, and win games with his buckets and free throws. Dirk’s effectiveness was drastically downscaled by the stifling Heat defense. The big German was out-of-rhythm the whole night, scoring almost half of his points at the charity stripe. So, while his 27 points led all scorers, they did not give Dallas any momentum nor give them a real chance of stunning Miami in Game 1.

Chalmers and Wade combined to knock down five three-pointers in Game 1.

The Heat won the three-point battle – We knew that Miami was going to take the ball to the basket. But the irony of last night’s contest saw the Heat outscore the Mavericks from the three-point line (Miami was 11-24; Dallas was 9-22). Although Dallas needs to have an advantage on this front, it will be difficult given Miami’s athletic ability on defense. But if the Heat are nailing their triples, this could be a very quick Finals series.

Jason Terry went AWOL and Jose Barea never showed up- Jason Terry’s first-half contribution on 12 points paced the Mavericks to a one-point halftime advantage. However, his lack of second-half productivity doomed Dallas. Terry failed to score another point in the game, virtually leaving Nowitzki as the only Mav capable of keeping Dallas in the game. As for Barea, his potential to spark Dallas was diminished by his own cower. Time and time again, the reserve point guard penetrated into the lane. But he was visibly conscious of Miami’s athletic defenders, and the shots that he threw up at the rim clearly illustrated that. Considering the fact that Barea was also scoreless in the second half, Dallas should consider itself fortunate that it was able to avoid a humiliating blowout.

Miami’s played some hot “D”- The Heat made a good offensive team look extremely tentative and uncomfortable last night. As advertised, Miami showed its ability to chase Dallas’ shooters off of the three point line (and off of any potential shots with their feet squared), and the defensive rotation brilliantly covered for any necessary run-outs. Their effort characterized the epitome of team basketball. But perhaps the biggest and most significant moves that they made were the ones that hampered Dirk Nowitzki’s effectiveness.

Dirk has been all smiles...up until last night, that is.

Dallas’ pet plays is the screen and roll, traditionally run with Nowitzki and either Terry or Barea – guards who can penetrate or shoot with equal aplomb. Miami brilliantly countered this – particularly late in the game – by playing Dirk at an angle that prevented him from setting the screen on the Heat defender guarding the ball handler. This cost the Mavericks lots of time of the shot clock, and eventually left Nowitzki in no man’s land with very little time on the clock to create a shot.

On other occasions, Miami defenders, Udonis Haslem and Chris Bosh, routinely overplayed Dirk, forcing him to put the ball on the deck. Miami understands that Dallas generates its offensive rhythm by shooting uncontested jumpers, so they are ensuring that the Mavericks have to be creative with their possessions. And, in general, the Mavs are a team that is very short on offensive creativity off the bounce.

Wade gone wild – By most standards, Wade had a productive game heading into the 4th quarter. But for him, it was clearly on the mild side. Therefore, it was only fitting for him to explode in the game’s final five minutes scoring 5 points, dishing out two timely helpers, and recording an amazing block and ball recovery which led to a game-sealing breakaway slam by Chris Bosh.

But it wasn’t just Wade. Dallas fell victim to clutch free throw shooting by Bosh. They also fell victim to the extraordinary playmaking abilities of the player who took his talents to South Beach.

If the Mavericks don’t find way to address the issues that plagued them in Game 1, King James and the Heat may be taking their talents – and the Larry O’Brien trophy – to South Beach.

Hey Cuban, Just Enjoy the Moment

T Lamont — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:34:49 +0000

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“We ain’t done yet”

That was the emphatic ending of an emotional rant by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

I suppose that we’ll have to excuse his emotion, as he just recently became the owner of the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks.

Following another frantic fourth quarter comeback, the Mavericks closed out the Oklahoma Thunder, 100-96. In an act that we’ve seen quite often in this series, Dallas outscored Oklahoma City 17-6 over the final 5:28 of the game.

Throughout the game, all indications were that the Thunder would at least be playing one more game in this series. Point guard Russell Westbrook was in attack mode all night, putting up 31 points. Super sub James Harden was indeed super. He was the primary catalyst in the Thunder’s game plan, running the pick and roll effectively and ending with 23 points (7-11 FG, 8-10 FT) and 6 assists. Regular season scoring champ Kevin Durant wasn’t efficient, but still managed 23 points.

But as crunch time approached, neither of those three could tangle with Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki, who has been practically unguardable against his last two opponents (Lakers, Thunder), made the three-pointer that put Dallas in the lead with 1:14 left in the game. He also iced the contest by nailing two free throws to establish an insurmountable four point advantage.

Nowitzki was that one clear, uncontrollable force that determined the course of this series. He was the best player in the Western Conference Finals, and he proved it each night.

But are they done yet?

Unlike Durant, Nowitzki found a way to get key buckets when his team needed them.

While the Bulls are still competing against the Heat, it’s abundantly clear who the victors of that series will be. That would be the team with three top notch offensive weapons.

So, let’s do a bit of foreshadowing, shall we? The Mavs will continue to ride Dirk as far as he can take them, and I believe that they have reached their final resting place. Nowitzki will get his points against Miami, but will he dominate and control the flow of the game? Not hardly in the fashion that he has against his Western Conference foes.

Given that Westbrook and Harden penetrated into the lane at will, Dallas will definitely have a problem stopping more accomplished penetrators like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Miami defensive prowess, coupled with its extreme athleticism will ultimately be too much for the Mavericks.

So, Cuban – just sit back, relax and enjoy the moment. It’ll be at least another year before you celebrate another postseason series win.