My Thoughts on the NBA Finals Part 3

The 2011 NBA Finals - Part 3

 

Dirk Nowitzki’s playoff run was as spectacular as any in recent memory. He delivered efficient performance after efficient performance and the few nights when he wasn’t scoring consistently, he scored with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. Having reached that elusive championship ring, Nowitzki cemented his legacy as an all-time great but it’s difficult to gage how history will remember the 2010-2011 Dallas Mavericks. Despite losing two time All Star Caron Butler in early January and declining to make a trade for a wing scorer at the trade deadline, the Mavericks could overcome the loss of Butler’s 15 points per game because of their incredible depth. The Mavericks entered the postseason as the third seed in the Western Conference and were a popular pick to be upset in their first round matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Dallas moved past the Blazers in six games and they were set for a series against the two time defending champion Lakers. It was the first time that Dirk Nowitzki would face Kobe Bryant in a playoff series. To the surprise of all, the Mavericks tore apart Los Angeles, including a 36 point blowout in game four, the series finale. The Mavericks crunch time five included reliable players at every position. Jason Kidd impacted the game without needing shots. The 38 year old future Hall of Famer played good defense and averaged near eight assists per game. Jason Terry provided an offensive spark to complement Nowitzki.Shawn Marion replaced Caron Butler in the starting lineup and stepped up his game; he played great defense against Kevin Durant and LeBron James in the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals respectively and also contributed 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists during the playoff run. The Mavericks acquired center Tyson Chandler during the offseason in a trade with Charlotte, even though they had already signed Brendan Haywood to a long term contract to be their starting center. Chandler completely changed the dynamic of this Mavericks team. Finally they now possessed a legitimate rim protecting, double digit rebounding center to pair with Dirk Nowitzki in the front court. Not to be forgotten, Rick Carlisle deserves immense credit for the coaching job he put in. The Mavericks championship win was an appropriate result for what was a wildly unpredictable and entertaining season.

The Heat created an unprecedented buzz around the NBA

The impending lockout couldn’t be any more untimely. Interest in the league continues to rise and next season could be even more compelling than the last. Each team presents a fascinating individual storyline and in terms of talent and quality basketball the league is in a good place. The playoffs provided basketball fans with an unbelievable stretch of quality games. For Miami the storyline is simple: how will LeBron, Wade, Bosh, and the Heat bounce back following their Finals disappointment? Unfortunately, because of the struggling small market teams and the large contracts given to role players, it appears likely that the lockout could be an issue for an extended period of time and that a number of regular season games could be lost.

My Thoughts on the NBA Finals Part 2

 The 2011 NBA Finals - Part 2

Basketball is a game of runs, and the Dallas Mavericks finished game two on a 22-5 run, stunning the Miami Heat on their home court and evening the series up at 1-1. The Heat were up 88-73 with 7:13 left to play and it appeared nothing would stop Miami from heading to Dallas for the next three games with a 2-0 series lead. A vintage performance from Dwyane Wade, which included an array of step backs, acrobatic layups, and forceful dunks and a versatile effort from LeBron James (though in no way prolific) gave the Miami crowd reason to be confident when a Wade three pointer gave them a 15 point lead and forced a Dallas timeout. Despite blowing the defensive coverage and leaving Mario Chalmers wide open for the game tying three with twenty-five seconds left, Jason Terry was a catalyst in getting the Mavericks back into the game. He scored six straight points out of the timeout and brought Dallas back to life. From there, Dirk Nowitzki did what he has consistently done this postseason – close the game out. Nowitzki scored Dallas’ final 9 points, including the game winning finger roll using his injured left hand with 3.6 seconds to go. Miami’s inability to run any semblance of an offensive set prevented them from generating a good scoring chance against the Mavericks defense. With the game tied at 90, and with approximately forty seconds to go, Wade settled for an off balanced three. When you have Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on the court, two of the very best at attacking the basket and either scoring or drawing contact, why are you settling for poor shots? Nowitzki replied with an uncontested three and following Chalmers’ tying three, he embarrassed Chris Bosh by spinning away from him and finishing at the rim. Wade’s last second shot hit back iron and Dallas won the game 95-93. The Mavericks improbable comeback will undoubtedly sting Miami and should set up a memorable game three on Sunday night in Dallas.

Shawn Marion played a great game, contributing 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, all while guarding LeBron James for the majority of his time on the floor. Jason Kidd shot poorly (2/7 FG, 2/5 3PT,) but he impacted the game without needing shots, grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing five assists. Tyson Chandler, Dallas’ interior presence, made the best of his limited touches, scoring 13 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, including 4 offensive boards. DeShawn Stevenson received an eight minute increase in playing time from game one and he responded positively, making 3 three pointers and forcing 3 steals. The Mavericks role players filled their roles admirably. When they play this well, it makes it much harder for the opposing team to compete. Chris Bosh was particularly ineffective, shooting 4/16 from the field and the Heat’s depth issues were easily identifiable today, even considering Mike Bibby’s three point outburst. The common perception in the NBA is that role players perform better at home. Nowitzki must continue his historically efficient play to give Dallas a legitimate chance at winning the series, but if the Mavericks role players can produce consistently, the Heat could be in trouble - regardless of how well Wade and LeBron perform.

My Thoughts on the Stanley Cup Finals Part 1

The 2011 Stanley Cup Finals - Part 1

The Vancouver Canucks established themselves as the only dominant team in the NHL this season. Pick out the other contending teams (Washington, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Jose, Boston) and each had a discernible flaw that restricted their ability to make the substantial leap from good to great. Over the eighty-two game regular season the Canucks consistently outclassed their opponents in all facets of the game; they led the league in goals for (258) and goals against (180) and maintained a steady business like efficiency even when they experienced injuries to key players. They easily finished with the league’s best record and were awarded the President’s Trophy for the first time in franchise history. However, regular season success would not appease Canucks Nation; they would be only satisfied with postseason triumphs and a parade down Robson Street. 

The Canucks enter the Stanley Cup Finals as the clear favorite. The Bruins are a big tough team and Tim Thomas was arguably the league’s best goaltender this season, but they cannot match the Canucks offensive or defensive depth. Boston’s anemic power play (5/67, 7.5% in 19 games played,) has been at the center of many jokes this postseason. If the Bruins are unable to generate goals with the man advantage they will struggle to compete in the series. On the other side of the ice, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara and his partner Dennis Seidenberg will likely spend most of their ice time matched up against the offensively lethal Sedin twins and will try to replicate what Predators defencemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter did so well against the twins in the second round, limiting them to just 7 points combined in six games. 

The task is nearly complete; the Vancouver Canucks are now just three wins (following last night’s 1-0 home win,) away from hoisting hockey’s Holy Grail and just as they have all season, the Canucks will not stop working until they are left as the last team standing.