From the time LeBron James announced his “Decision” in July 2010, I anxiously anticipated the upcoming season and how the Big Three would fare in the 2011 NBA Playoffs.
When the action boiled down to Dallas vs. Miami for the Finals, I became a 100 percent supporter of the Mavericks. Now, I’ve heard both sides. Many people feel that James was “betrayed” by Cleveland and had every right to respond the way he did. However, I have a more complex take on the situation: Although James did have every right to move to a more talented team, the presentation itself was immature, disrespectful and arrogant.
This year’s Finals made me extremely nervous. It couldn’t have been more appropriate than to have a rematch of the 2006 series in which Dwyane Wade and the Heat defeated Dirk Nowitzski and his Dallas squad. One had to expect a “payback” mentality from the Mavericks’ bench, and I was ecstatic to see them pull off the championship win in Game 6.
In looking back at the series, I see a clear distinction between Games 1-3 and Games 4-6. Let’s look at these periods in more detail:
Games 1-3
In this first part of the series, Miami won two out of the three contests. Although Nowitzki played well in each game, he seemed to be the only Maverick who could even get a rhythm going. Overall, Dallas looked exactly how some feared: old.
Shawn Marion and Jason Terry supported Nowitzki with decent shooting performances, but the Mavericks looked basically without the guard position. Veteran point guard Jason Kidd played less than average offense, and at barely six feet tall, Jose Barea wasn’t interpreted as a threat by the Miami defense.
The Big Three (Wade, James and Chris Bosh) put up a solid performance in each of the three games, although James’ point totals decreased from 24 in Game 1 to only 17 in Game 3. If it were up to me, I’d say that Wade was definitely the face of the Miami Heat during this series.
Overall, Miami simply looked bigger, better and more athletic as a squad than its opponent, and I’ll admit to a feeling of skepticism going into Game 4.
Games 4-6
Prior to the Game 4 tipoff, Dallas fans everywhere released a collective groan at the news that Nowitzki was suffering from a fever as high as 102 degrees. With the previous three contests revealing a lack of chemistry and “oomf” (for lack of a better, less-Minnesotan word) from the remainder of the Mavericks, things didn’t look good for the older team.
However, Nowitzski played through the temperature, tallying 21 points and 11 rebounds en route to a victory that tied the series at 2-2. Marion (16 points) and Terry (17 points) played supporting roles once again, and Coach Rick Carlisle gave big man Brian Cardinal 7:24 on the hardwood to offer Nowitzki some recovery time. The biggest shocker in Game 4? James scored only eight points, the lowest he’s recorded since 2007.
During the final two games, there was a new spark on the Dallas squad. Following Game 4, I suddenly regained confidence that the Mavericks were serious about winning this trophy—and Games 5 and 6 proved that. During these games, Dallas bench players came out of the woodwork to make their mark on the series. Barea created almost impossible plays and went from a horrible shooter to dropping threes from downtown; Terry seemed more confident and drew a better range of shots.
Barea, who before had averaged nine points per game, tallied 17 and 15 points in the final two games, respectively. And although Nowitzki struggled initially in Game 6, Terry saved the day. Terry lit up the floor, hitting almost every shot he attempted.
Cardinal, a former bench warmer for the Minnesota Timberwolves, accrued 29 minutes of playing time and seven points over the course of the final three games. His playing time during Games 1-3: 1:07. Despite not being a major offensive threat, Cardinal added a solid body under the basket, contesting shots and drawing charges.
In the second half of Sunday night’s game, Miami fans watched in shock as Dallas gained control…and never looked back.
