The Miami Heat couldn’t quite get the job done last season against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and now LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes), and Chris Bosh(notes) get to sit around and wait till a new collective bargaining agreement is worked out before getting to try it all again.

The supporting cast to the Big Three is set to change whenever a new season gets underway. The Miami Herald reports that General Manager Pat Riley is planning to go after Shane Battier(notes), Grant Hill(notes), and Tayshaun Prince(notes) once the lockout is finally lifted.

If those three don’t work out, the Herald notes, the team will then turn its attention to Michael Redd(notes) and Tracy McGrady(notes).

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: Miami Herald

Related: Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Tayshaun Prince, Shane Battier, Grant Hill, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

What do you guys think about this.

The NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks is anyone’s series.

That’s the best prediction to offer now that a positively odd Game 4 has been played — and won — by the Dallas Mavericks, 86-83. The story lines spawned by Tuesday’s game and what is now shaping up as a classic NBA Final are too numerous to keep track of.

Dallas was pretty much done after Game 1, remember? After they lost Game 3, in which it seemed like they had so many things falling into place nearly all the “experts” declared this finals over (I’m guilty too).

Then came Game 4 — a game in which Dirk Nowitzki played suffering from a fever of 101 degrees and went a very pedestrian 6-of-19 from the field. A game in which the Heat -once again led in the fourth quarter, a game in which Dwyane Wade again, played like a superstar, a game in which Chris Bosh stepped up and played well and a game that featured Jason Kidd go 0-for-3 from the field and finish with three assists and four turnovers.

Blowout right? Well as Lee Corso would say, “not so fast my friends”.

Kidd was bad and Dirk was human but the rest of the Dallas Mavericks came to play.

Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 16 rebounds, including nine on the offensive boards. Jason Terry had 17 points and three steals. Shawn Marion had 16 points and four boards and little Jose Juan Barea had eight points and four assists.

For as much all around balance and teamwork Dallas showed, Miami was the polar opposite. Yes, Wade had another big game with a game-high 32 points with two assists, two steals, two blocks and six rebounds but the pressure to do nearly everything on the floor may have impacted his play in the final minute when he missed a free throw to tie the game and fumbled an inbounds pass with six seconds left.

The fumble resulted in a broken play and missed desperation 3-pointer to try and tie the game.

Chris Bosh also came to play with 24 points and six boards. The rest of Miami, though? Bueller? Bueller? They did nothing.

LeBron wasn’t Kobe, Magic, Scottie or Jordan — he just looked like an oversized point guard with no shot. Constantly passing the ball, totally passive on the court and generally out-of-sync, LeBron was flat. That would have been somewhat acceptable had anyone else wearing a Heat uniform showed up to play last night. Without Bosh or Wade, the Heat scored only 27 points.

The other mystery that really needs to be addressed is the coaching. I’m not an Erik Spoelstra basher. In fact, I think he got a bit too much criticism earlier in the season when the Heat stumbled out of the gate.

Throughout the playoffs, this Mavericks team has played in a somewhat deliberate fashion. You know they are going to make a serious push in the fourth quarter, you know who the offense is centered around, you know who will take the big shots. The whole world knows it will be Dirk Nowitzki.

In Game 2 it was Dirk and he delivered, in Game 3 it was Dirk and he missed but he still got a decent shot off, and yes a fallaway jump shot from the free throw line counts as a decent shot for Dirk.

I understand the the single coverage by Haslem on Dirk worked in Game 3. Still, that strategy has failed more often than it’s worked. Over the course of these playoffs, teams have let Dirk have the ball in single coverage late in games and the Mavericks are still playing basketball. Dirk may have had a fever but the Mavericks were still feeding him the ball down the stretch. He wasn’t hitting all his shots but he was getting to the free throw line where he is as good as anyone in NBA history.

The scene was set: Mavs led by one, 30 seconds left in the game, Dallas ball. Dirk gets the ball near the free throw line and holds the ball to run down the clock. Where’s the double team?

There was plenty of time for it to get there. It never came, because it was never called, and the result was a Nowitzki score. If you were Miami, wouldn’t you prefer almost anyone in the entire world taking a shot in that situation besides Nowitzki? Has he not proven himself yet? Is there some sort of question in Coach Spoelstra’s mind as to wether or not he’s got the guts to take and make a big shot?? Why on earth would Miami allow single coverage on the man who is currently owning the title of “big shot maker” in these playoffs?

Scottie Brooks who won Coach of The Year in the NBA for the 2009-2010 season had the same strategy in the Western Conference Finals and Dirk absolutely torched the Thunder. The Heat play better defense than the Thunder but Dirk is Dirk. He’s not going to be stopped that often. I can understand not doubling him the whole game because Dirk is a decent passer and he will catch on and start getting the ball in the hands of Kidd, Terry, or Barea and those guys can make you pay.

But in that final minute, showing Dirk a different look, a defense he hasn’t encountered all game would seem like a decent idea. Spring a double team on him and maybe he gets rattled and turns it over, maybe he passes and someone else misses a shot or maybe he makes another amazing play and it’s all for naught. There’s no way to know what will happen but it seems like single coverage in that circumstance is getting very predictable.

This is now a best-of-three series and a seven-game thriller seems plausible. Don’t be shocked if James comes out like a man possessed on Thursday. Players of his caliber tend to bounce back quite well from inexplicably poor showings such as his Game 4 showing. A healthy Dirk should mean a better Dirk but how much more can this guy do?

It’s going to come down to this Dallas supporting cast. If guys like Chandler, Marion, and Terry continue to play well and Kidd bounces back off his own stinker, Dallas playing it’s final home game will be very tough to beat. If those guys have off nights, though, Miami will probably eek out another tough win on the road.

The pressure to perform in Game 5 has shifted and it’s not really on Miami or Dallas anymore. It now rests on the broad shoulders of LeBron James. If he plays another soft game and Miami loses, legitimate questions will start to be asked.

Last season when he pulled a vanishing act in the Boston-Cleveland series, the excuse was his impending free-agency. On Sunday, when the Heat won but some thought LeBron played poorly, his excuse was that he was focused on defense. If the Heat lose on Thursday? Well then LeBron will need a whole new slew of excuses and I don’t know where he’ll find them.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Read More: Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, Jun 7, 2011 9:00 PM EDT

The Dallas Mavericks almost erased another double-digit lead in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to come away with the win. But after a made Chris Bosh jumper and a Dirk Nowitzki turnover and miss, the Mavericks now find themselves down 2-1 in the series. If the Mavericks want to even things up and at least give themselves a chance to win this series, they are going to have to make a few different adjustments.

Offense: Stop Trying To Create Transition Chances

Dallas’ turnover problems in Game 2 didn’t really get talked about at length because of the fact that Dallas came back and the Miami Heat ended up playing “Hero Basketball” for the final seven minutes of the game. Most of these turnovers were a result of the Mavericks trying to force the issue and create transition opportunities. The Mavericks cut their turnovers in Game 3 (only turning it over 14 times), but the problem of forcing the basketball and trying to create transition opportunities out of nothing continued to be a problem for Dallas:

One of the tendency teams have when playing a tremendous halfcourt defense like Miami is to say something along the lines of “we need to get out and run, not let them set up their defense.”  However, what makes Miami so special is that they are great at getting back and playing transition defense.  It is becoming more and more apparent that Dallas isn’t comfortable running (look at Peja Stojakovic’s “outlet pass” or J.J. Barea;s hesitance when trying to force a delayed transition opportunity) and trying to create opportunities.  This is what leads to turnovers, so instead of running their stuff (which has done a decent job of getting good looks), the Mavericks are throwing possessions away.

I’m not saying don’t run, when the opportunities are there, you need to take advantage.  However, trying to create opportunities out of nothing just doesn’t work against Miami.  Slow it down and run your offense.

Defense: Don’t Double Wade/James Post Up Opportunities

In Game 3, the Heat scored 13 points on 12 post-up possessions, according to Synergy Sports Technology.  These post-up opportunities can be broken up into two categories, wing post-ups (possessions where Dwyane Wade or LeBron James got the ball on the block) and big post-ups (Chris Bosh and Joel Anthony).  The Heat were wildly successful when posting up their wings, scoring 11 points on just 6 possessions with only one possession not resulting in any points.  The biggest reason for Wade and James’ success is that they were ready for and knew how to handle the double teams that Dallas sent just about every single time:

James got posted up two times (once at the start of the game and once at the start of the second half), and both times it looked like it was a set play designed to take advantage of Dallas’ double team.  The ball would go to LeBron on the post, Joel Anthony would set a pindown on the weakside (once for Mike Bibby and once for Wade) and the result was an open three for Bibby and an open jumper for Bosh after the defense overplayed Wade on the pindown.

While the post-up chances for Wade came more in the flow of the game (compared to James’ set plays), the Mavericks still sent doubles, and the Heat were still ready for these doubles:

On Wade post-ups, the Heat like to use James to enter the basketball. The Heat do this for two reasons. First, if Shawn Marion falls asleep and shades too far off of James, Wade can simply kick it out to James and let him attack (which is what happens on the first possession). Also, it takes away the double team from the man making the entry pass (no team is going to leave James to double the post), forcing the double to come from the weakside. That is what happens on the second play in the video above. The Mavericks double on the pass from the weakside and Wade does a good job of swinging it to the opposite side, and the result is an open jumper for Udonis Haslem.

The only time that Dallas was able to stop a wing post-up was when they allowed Wade’s defender (Jason Kidd) to play him one on one, and then bringing help when Wade commits to his move to the rim:

What happens here is that no double comes and Tyson Chandler helps as Wade attacks the rim.  Wade is forced to double clutch, allowing Kidd to swipe at the basketball, knocking it loose.  

The Heat have done a good job of scouting, noticing that Dallas will send the double team just about every time, and their guys are prepared for it, ready to make the pass out.  You play Miami’s wing posts one-on-one, you not only prevent the kickout, but you also switch things up, and that too can throw Miami off their game on the block.

That’s all for today.

Read More: 2011 nba finals, 2011 nba finals tv schedule, 2011 nba finals schedule, nba finals schedule, Chris Bosh (F – MIA), Jason Terry (G – DAL), Dirk Nowitzki (F – DAL), LeBron James (F – MIA), Dwyane Wade (G – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

The Dallas Mavericks absolutely can’t afford to lose Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat hold a 2-1 lead in the series and with a win Tuesday would be a virtual lock to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The task for the Mavericks is to solve the Heat defense and find a way to get some of their other scorers involved in the game and putting up points.

There’s two ways to look at the series so far if you are a Dallas fan. On the one hand, the Mavericks won a road game and were very much in Game 3 and lost by just two points. On the other hand, all the breaks (and calls) went their way in that third game and they still lost. They won the rebounding (+6) and took 12 more free throws and still didn’t win. The Heat have yet to get a big game from Chris Bosh and they essentially blew Game 2 with their own hubris after taking a big lead late in the fourth quarter.

What’s pretty clear in watching this series is that the Heat have more talent on the floor at crunch time. LeBron James hasn’t had to put up big shooting numbers because the Mavericks don’t have anyone that can guard Dwyane Wade. James has been able to focus his efforts on the defensive end where he’s shut down Jason Terry and at some point in this series, if needed, he’s going to guard Dirk Nowitzki. 

The Heat have lead the majority of this series so far and have yet to play a complete game. If they can bring the right mental focus to Game 4 (as they did in Game 3), they should be able to win Tuesday’s game and essentially end the series. For Dallas to win, their shooters will need to find some other way to get open looks and hit them when they come. Most importantly, Dallas can’t turnover the ball as they’ve done too many times in this series.

Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Finals tips off on Tuesday June 7, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT on ABC. Down 2-1 in the series, Dallas needs to play it’s best basketball to avoid a deep hole.

Here’s the full remaining schedule for the 2011 NBA Finals:
Game 5 Thursday June 9, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
Game 6 * Sunday June 12, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
Game 7 * Tuesday June 14, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT
*If necessary

Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, right, wait to shoot during a practice session for Game 4 of the NBA Finals basketball game Monday, June 6, 2011, in Dallas. The Heat lead the Dallas Mavericks 2-1 in the series. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Dallas Mavericks will try to get the upper-hand in their best-of-seven series of the 2011 NBA Finals as they play against the Miami Heat on Sunday night, June 5, 2011, at the American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas, according to a report at NBA.com.

Center stage will be on Miami forward Chris Bosh, as he will be playing his first NBA Finals game against his home town Dallas since turning pro in 2003.

Bosh was a Dallas superstar during his high school days. He led his team to a perfect, 40-0, record and a state title.

After two games, the Heat and Mavericks are locked up at one game apiece. However, Dallas‘s game two victory has shifted the homecourt advantage away from Miami. This means that the Heat needs to get a victory on the road to win the 2011 NBA Finals. This scenario puts the burden on Bosh, as he tries to lead his Miami team to at least a victory over his hometown team.

During the first two NBA Finals games, Bosh averages 15.5 points on a very low 9-of-34 field goal.

In December 15, 2003, Bosh played his first NBA game against Dallas when he was with the Toronto Raptors. Reports say that Bosh was so nervous during that game that he missed a dunk in the early part of the game.

When asked about his homecoming finals game, Bosh said that the “thrill of playing at home is gone. I just concentrate on trying to win games. I’ve been there a bunch of times, played in that arena my fair share of times. I go back all the time. Nothing’s changed, it looks the same, the people are the same. That’s why the thrill is kind of gone. As you get older, it becomes more of a task.”

Chris Bosh
Image Credit: Wikipedia

Tags: Chris Bosh, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas vs Miami, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Finals Game 3

Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA Finals Matchup, A 2006 Rematch

Miami Heat vs Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals 2011
Image Credit: NBA.comMiami Heat has beefed up their roster last summer to be able to return into the NBA Finals, and they did. The Dallas Mavericks however, is preparing for a rematch against Miami after being denied by the Heat in 2006.
According to an NBA.com report, [...]


NBA Finals Heat vs Mavericks Results: Miami Wins Game 1 Against Dallas, leads series 1-0

NBA Finals 2011
Image Credit: NBA.com The Miami Heat rallied in the fourth quarter, to win Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, 92-84 on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, according to a report at NBA.com.
LeBron James led the Heat with 24 points and nine rebound [...]


NBA Finals 2011 Miami vs Dallas Game 2 Result: Mavericks-95, Heat-93

NBA Finals 2011: Dallas Wins Game 2
Image Credit: NBA.com The Dallas Mavericks rallied back to win Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, 95-93, on Thursday night, June 2, 2011 at the American Airlines arena in Miami, Florida, according to a report at NBA.com.
Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas to victory as [...]


NBA Finals 2011 Schedule: Heat vs Mavericks Matchup On ABC

NBA Finals 2011 Schedule on ABC
Image Credit: NBA.com NBA Finals 2011 schedule is set to start on Tuesday, May 31, 2011, live on ABC. The 2011 NBA Finals best-of-seven series will be a matchup between the Miami Heat versus Dallas Mavericks. Game 1 of the series will be played at the American Airlines Arena, Miami, Fl [...]


Bulls vs Heat Game 5: Miami Heat wins (83-80), advanced to 2011 NBA Finals against Mavericks

Miami Heat won Game 5 for the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals over Chicago Bulls (83-80), and advanced to the 2011 NBA Finals vs. Dallas Mavericks.
Miami Heat’s LeBron James guarding
Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose
Image Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
As shown at ABS-CBN on Thursday, May 26, the Miami Heat [...]


Bulls vs. Heat Game 3 Eastern Finals: Miami Heat wins (96-85)

Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh and
Bulls’ Taj Gibson on Game 3
Image Credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune
Miami Heat won Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals (96-85), which was held at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on Sunday, May 22, 2011.
As shown at ABS-CBN, the Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat Game 3 [...]


NBA Playoffs: Mavericks vs Thunder, Dallas Wins And Advances To 2011 NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks: 2011 West Conference Champs
Image Credit: NBA.com Dirk Nowitzki anchored a fourth quarter Dallas Mavericks rally that led to series clinching victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, 100-96, on Wednesday night, May 25, 2011, according to a report at NBA.com. (For the complete schedule of the NBA Fina [...]


Miami Heat Led By Chris Bosh Wins Third Straight With Rout vs San Antonio Spurs

Chris Bosh led the Heat vs Spurs
Image Credit: NBA.comThe Miami Heat avenged their worst loss of the 2011 NBA season by winning over the San Antonio Spurs, 110-80, according to NBA.com on Monday, March 15, 2011.
Miami lost to San Antonio, 125-95, last March 4, 2011, but the Heat was able to turn back the tide again [...]


NBA Playoffs: Heat vs Bulls, Miami Wins Game 4 Eastern Finals In OT Over Chicago

NBA Playoffs: Heat vs Bulls Game 4
Image Credit: NBA.com The Miami Heat wins in overtime against the Chicago Bulls, 101-93, in Game 4 of the 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Tuesday night, in American Airlines Arena, Miami, according to a report at NBA.com.
LeBron James led the Heat as he scored 35 points whi [...]


Heat vs Bulls Game 2 2011 East Finals Results: Miami 85, Chicago 75

LeBron James
Image Credit: NBA.com Lebron James led the Miami Heat to a Game 2 2011 Eastern Conference Finals win against the Chicago Bulls, 85-75, on Wednesday night at the United Center, in Chicago, according to a report at NBA.com.
Miami made a crucial run down the stretch to pull away from Chicago and even thei [...]

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

By Tom Ziller

– NBA Contributor

Follow , and

Like SBNation.com on Facebook.

Jun 5, 2011 – The Miami Heat were minutes away from taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, holding a 15-point lead with just over half of the fourth quarter to go. Everything had seemingly gone right for Miami, as the team’s sterling defense had held up for the second time against Dallas’ kismet attack, and it’s offense was clicking (even as Chris Bosh struggled).

But it all fell apart down the stretch. The Miami offense went into clock-milking mode, which totally killed the flow and resulted in bad shot after bad shot. On the other end, Dallas used long rebounds to get out early and catch the Heat resistance unsettled and disorganized. That resulted in a 22-5 that sealed a win for the Mavericks, giving the West’s champion a 1-1 split in Miami. It was the Heat’s first home loss of the postseason.

They need it back in Game 3 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Mavericks are 7-1 at home this postseason, having lost Game 2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the West finals. Miami is 4-3 on the road, with 1-1 splits in each of Philadelphia and Boston and a 2-1 roll in Chicago, where the Heat robbed home court advantage in Game 2 of the East finals and never looked back.

Game 2 in the East championship series is the last time the Heat found themselves trailing in a series; should the Mavericks win Game 3, Miami would be back in that spot. While we obviously know the Heat can bounce back, this Mavericks team seems to be made of different ingredients. When it’s pressed an advantage over opponents in these playoffs — think Game 5 against Portland, the Game 1 win in L.A. against the Lakers, Game 3 against OKC — it’s pressed it hard. No opponent has been able to breathe easy, because Dallas strikes twice. The run to end Game 2 was Dallas’ first strike of the Finals. Miami has to prepare for the next lunge.

As expected, two lovely teams are fighting their tails off in highly competitive games. What more could you want? Game 3 will tip at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For full series coverage, check out our Heat vs. Mavericks hub. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the Mavericks, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.

Read More: Chris Bosh (F – MIA), LeBron James (F – MIA), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks, Jun 5, 2011 8:00 PM EDT

There is the quick update of the day.

Thanks for reading! .

MIAMI (KABC) —
The Miami Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks, 92-84, in Miami Tuesday to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

LeBron James scored 24 points and Dwyane Wade scored 22 points with 10 rebounds to overtake the Mavericks after trailing by eight points in the third quarter. Chris Bosh had 10 points and Mario Chalmers had 12.

The Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki scored 27 points and took eight rebounds. Shawn Marion scored 16 points and Jason Terry notched 12 for Dallas.

Miami has won five straight games against Dallas in finals games going back to 2006.

Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. PDT on ABC7.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

That’s all the news for today.

MIAMI HEAT VS. DALLAS MAVERICKS – NBA FINALS

By IRA WINDERMAN

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

11:22 a.m. EDT, May 29, 2011

DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. MIAMI HEAT: WHO HAS THE EDGE?
CENTER: Tyson Chandler has been a beast on the boards this season against the Heat, including 17 rebounds in the teams’ first meeting. The question is whether he will remain stationed close to the basket or be called upon for the defensive assignment against Chris Bosh, in order to help keep Dirk Nowitzki out of foul trouble. While the Mavericks have a depth of talent, with Brendan Haywood in reserve, many of the Heat’s best lineups come without a true center on the floor, with starter Joel Anthony instead giving way to a power rotation of Bosh and Udonis Haslem. EDGE: MAVS
POWER FORWARD: Dirk Nowitzki has been the offensive most valuable player of these playoffs to this point and will face a variety of defenders over the course of the series, from Heat starting power forward Chris Bosh, to backup power forward Udonis Haslem, to Heat small forward LeBron James to starting center Joel Anthony. While Bosh has been a third wheel much of this season, he made a breakthrough of sorts with a pair of dominant games against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. Rebounding will potentially be a swing factor here. EDGE: MAVS
SMALL FORWARD: While Dirk Nowitzki has been the offensive most valuable player of this postseason, LeBron James has been the most efficient two-way talent in these playoffs. That likely will have him guarding a variety of Mavericks beyond Dallas starting small forward Shawn Marion. Figure on James seeing plenty of defensive action against Nowitzki and also spending time defending Mavericks guards. Marion has had moments of defensive brilliance this postseason and must be accounted for on the boards, where he had a huge late offensive rebound in the teams’ most-recent meeting. EDGE: HEAT
SHOOTING GUARD: Dwyane Wade dominated the closing games of the 2006 NBA Finals against the Mavericks and figures to be as much of a defensive focus for the Mavericks as LeBron James. Wade averaged 34.7 points in those 2006 Finals. While DeShawn Stevenson has had his defensive moments against Wade, figure on plenty of double-teams or moves toward a zone by the Mavericks, who have frustrated the Heat over the years with such an approach. This is a matchup the Heat must dominate, even when Jason Terry or J.J. Barea enter off the bench and Jason Kidd gets the assignment. EDGE: HEAT
POINT GUARD: For once, the Heat’s Mike Bibby won’t be challenged by flat-out speed, after going through the opening rounds against Jrue Holiday, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose, but that doesn’t mean that Jason Kidd will be less of a challenge. The Mavericks not only open with the heady playmaker who has reached another level with his long-range stroke, but offer a variety of scoring and speed options off the bench that all are a step above Heat prime reserve Mario Chalmers. Figure on the Heat often going without a true point guard. EDGE: MAVS
BENCH: Dallas clearly has the depth of talent, but don’t overstate the Heat’s depth of versatility. While Erik Spoelstra has limited his reserve rotation to Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers in recent games, that allows him to best utilize the versatility of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Dallas, by contrast, can come off the bench with the speed of J.J. Barea, the shooting of Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry, and the bulk of Brendan Haywood. But almost every move off the bench by the Mavericks reduces the team’s defensive efficiency. EDGE: MAVS
COACHING: Both are tactical coaches. While not previously viewed as an “offensive” coach, Dallas’ Rick Carlisle has come to work to his team’s strengths, while also building more of a defensive identity, especially in the power rotation. If there were any doubts about Erik Spoelstra’s ability to compete on this level, they were erased with his success against Doug Collins, Doc Rivers and Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau. Both coaches grant considerable latitude to their stars. Each has orchestrated major comebacks this postseason. EDGE: EVEN
INTANGIBLES: The 2-3-2, Finals-only formatting certainly changes the equation. Rarely does any team sweep the middle three games. Both teams enter with a mere three losses this postseason. Among the most interesting tactical approaches will be Dallas’ utilization of zone defense, a slant that has flustered the Heat in recent regular-season meetings. But Dwyane Wade has shown adjustments with his off-the-ball work and Chris Bosh’s jumper could negate the impact. EDGE: EVEN
PREDICTION: The Heat have two of the series’ three best players, in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and that should be enough, barely, to offset Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks’ depth of talent. Having the final two games of the series at home doesn’t hurt, either for the only team yet to lose at home this postseason. PICK: HEAT IN SIX.

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Subscribe to our feed!.