The NBA Finals: Experience Wins

Let’s me just get this out there: I’m a Dallas Mavericks fan.

Why, you ask?

Well, I wasn’t really much of a Heat or Dallas fan to begin with. But when it came time to pick one to root for in the finals, I had to go Dallas because they don’t have Shaq. I enjoy rooting for the underdog, and Shaq rarely qualifies for that “underdog” status.

Sure, the Mavs were favored by a lot of analysts, but they didn’t have Shaq. Or The Flash. They just had Dirk, some otherwise bit players, and “The Little General”. Not exactly superstar-power. But I digress. Perhaps I like the anguish of favoring the underdog.

So I’m watching Game 6 of the Dallas-Miami game tonight, and before it ends, even my lovely wife has called it. Somewhere with about 3:16 left, Dallas lazily advances the ball up the court down by like 6 or something (who really cares). As they had done in the past dozen or so possessions, they make one or two passes around the perimeter and Jason Terry launches a three that clanks around and lands in the hands of a Miami player.

That’s when my wife says, “If they do that one more time, they don’t deserve to win.”

Yup. They don’t deserve to win. And they didn’t (win).

Dallas gave us one half of basketball, then basically crapped their pants when the Big Game was on the line. Miami just kept coming and coming. Giving Dallas different looks, moving the ball, and generally, playing their game. And Dallas crumbled.

Where was Dirk, the man Bill Simmons says we should put in the Pantheon? Where was the coaching that leaned on that oft-talked-about 10-man rotation? Where was the fight from the Little General?

Dirk in the Pantheon? We seem to be a bit premature on that one. If you can’t deliver in those big games… be “clutch”, as they say, you ain’t Pantheon material. Sorry. Dirk had a decent night. 10-22 from the field and 29 points. But when I saw late in the fourth quarter, when Miami had no centers in the game — Shaq and Mourning were on the bench with 5 fouls apiece — and Dirk, at seven feet, did not put every damn ball through the net with a flush, I knew he wasn’t here to win.

No big man in the lane. And the only Maverick to drive to the hoop is the 42-year-old Jerry Stackhouse? Sad.

And where is this mythical “new Dirk”? The one that supposedly can not be guarded. The Dirk that can put it on the floor like a power forward, do that herky-jerky move at the free-throw-line, shake his defender, and shoot way over him with a sweet fadeaway? Or, just blow by him and jam it home or lay it up? Dirk only saw the rim in the first quarter. After that, he settled for the outside shot.

Did Miami really turn up the heat on him after the first 7 minutes of play? He’s been double-teamed all series. He should know that he can abuse Walker and Posey. Why the hell isn’t he just putting a shoulder down and muscling past these posers? Pantheon? Not anytime soon. Hasselhof needs to teach him a few things about grinding it out. Heck, I don’t know why Shaq was questioning Damp’s manliness before the series — Dirk was weak, and as a superstar, he needs to carry his team more. He made Haslem look like a freaking all-star defender. Sheesh.

And where was Avery during the fourth quarter?

Coach of the Year? Might want to rethink that one. Sure, Avery might have been good for the first 80-90 games, but man, these past few have been stinkers.

I’ll say it again. No big man in the lane and he doesn’t make his players go to the hoop? Hell, even with a big man back in the lane, they were playing with five fouls! Head down, get in the paint! Get Shaq out of the game! Or neutralize Mourning! Sheesh. Why not put in Harris so he can get some easy lay-ins? Egads.

I swear, I saw more jams from Daniels than anyone else. Off the bench. In 11 minutes.

But that was not the worst part of it. It was seeing, once again, Jason Terry and the rest of the “can’t hit the broad side of a barn to save my life” bunch hoist up 5-22 from three-point range. Like Silas said after one of the Miami wins — “Live by the three… and you know the rest.”

Let’s look at the box scores. Terry shoots 7-25 from 2 point range, and 2-11 from three. Holy shit. How does this guy get 31 minutes, most of the fourth quarter, and the last couple shots of the game? And a three? I swear, I was digging him when he was playing well in games one and two, but when this guy sucks, he sucks with a swagger I don’t appreciate.

I know that shooters are supposed to try and shoot their way back into a game, but geezus, if it ain’t falling for you, take it inside and at least get a shot off from within 6 feet. Maybe you’ll get a foul or something. Sink a couple of those and they won’t play you as tight from 15 feet. And then you can get your shot falling.

I know, I’m bitching. But in the end, experience really won here. Look at all the veterans on the Miami Heat. Starting from Riley, through Shaq, down onto Walker, GP, Mourning, Anderson. These guys were hungry. They wanted it more. And they knew how to play under the intense pressure of the NBA Finals.

When the Mavs looked like lost puppies down by 6 in the fourth, Miami just kept pounding it in, even through the (nice) zone defense. The Mavs stopped running and started shooting. Avery didn’t sit Terry down.

So, it looks like the 10-man rotation really isn’t 10 men. When the going got tough, Avery kept to his starters and Stackhouse and didn’t change it up as much as when he was winning. He let his team play a style of ball that works when the shot falls, but they have no talent in the paint. You can’t go in with a layup with Mourning waiting for you! I don’t care if he only has one kidney.

Props to Miami. It’s good to see some veterans get a ring. Mourning seems like a tough dude, and GP, even though I’m not a fan, well, he’s put in some good years for the NBA. Shaq gets another, okay, that’s fine, even if he can’t bend at the knees anymore. (By the way, did anyone else get a real laugh out of seeing Shaq play defense out above the free-throw-line? Man, seeing a big man move like that — he’s all feet — is pretty hilarious. But hey, he was working it out there.)

And D’Wade? Well, he’s blossoming into a good player. I won’t be doing as much ass-kissing as the announcers on ABC were, but he has talent, for sure. I do wish that he wouldn’t get so many calls going his way, but I guess if Bavetta thinks you’re a superstar, you’re a superstar.

In the end, the Heat were poised and ready to win this series. The Mavs just aren’t a Champion team yet. Maybe they never will be. They are young, but who knows how this at-home loss will affect the entire organization, from Cuban, to Avery, and through the wide-eyed players.

I hope they pull through and come back next season. I enjoy watching them, but it is just frustrating when they can’t seem to want it as badly as I do. Ah. The joys of rooting for the underdogs.