| Finally Authored by Andrew Friedman - June 8, 2006 - 2:15 am
| Current Featured Columns | | Final Thoughts On The 2008 NBA Draft This year's draft was decidedly more calm and casual than the Oden/Durant showdown, which made for a more candid and personal experience.
Grading The Deal: Knicks Sign DuhonThe Knicks overpaid for a below average starting point guard, but the move should still pay dividends.
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Oh Danny Boy
Danny Granger, who has just three years of NBA experience under his belt, will undoubtedly be the man in Indiana beginning this summer.
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$10 Million For Five Players?
The Orlando Magic will be limited by the NBA's Luxury Tax in terms of filling the remaining spots on their roster. It is also possible it could cost them Keyon Dooling or Maurice Evans.
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Raptorland’s New Carnivore
The Raptors are bringing in a player who will have an immediate impact (unlike Hibbert or whomever the Raptors would’ve drafted at 17), plays a position of need (unlike Ford,) and carries a reputation of intimidation (unlike Nesterovic).
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More from RealGM's Columnists
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The Dallas Mavericks crushed the Heat in both regular season meetings. Then again, Miami had its share of awful performances against the Pistons, Bulls and Nets as well. Each team used a perimeter-oriented strategy equipped with fast-paced offense and outside shooting to do the job. Such a strategy failed against the Heat in the playoffs.
As if Miami has had enough of guards that can beat a team with quickness or shooting, or a combination of the two, such as Gordon, Hinrich and Kidd, Miami will meet Devin Harris and Jason Terry. As if Miami has had enough of forwards that can shoot from anywhere on the floor at any moment in the game, such as Nocioni, Deng, Jefferson and Carter, meet Dirk Nowitzki.
When it comes down to nuts and bolts of the playoffs, Miami is seeing the same strategies repeatedly. Dallas, however, is the best at this style, even soundly defeating the Phoenix Suns, who were formerly the best at such a style. And the Mavericks’ defense is better than the Nets and Bulls defense, and perhaps better than the Pistons’ failed defense too.
Critics are insinuating that the Mavericks’ power players (Dampier, Diop and even Van Horn and Nowitzki) can check Shaquille O’Neal’s output either offensively or defensively. Furthermore, they say Josh Howard, Marquis Daniels and Adrian Griffin can do the same to Dwyane Wade.
What these critics fail to acknowledge is Wade has already faced a variety of defensive challenges against Miami’s three previous opponents, and he constantly found a way.
Quick and pesky smaller guards like Hinrich, Duhon, Gordon, Hunter or Delk? Wade found a way. All-Defensive Team point guards like Chauncey Billups or Jason Kidd? Wade found a way. Longer players like Tayshaun Prince, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Luol Deng or Andres Nocioni?
Wade found a way. Double-teams, zone defenses or trapping? Wade found a way.
As for O’Neal? Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Dale Davis, Jason Collins, Nenad Krstic, John Thomas, Michael Sweetney, Othella Harrington and Tyson Chandler were all overpowered by Shaq. Double-teams and flopping were merely blips or interruptions in O’Neal’s game. No one had a solution.
Yet defeating Dallas will be no easy task. The Mavericks proved to be the best team in the Western Conference. Dirk Nowitzki is a significantly taller and significantly better version of the same style of players Miami has already seen.
But the other factors seem all too similar. Miami has beaten teams that flop. Miami has beaten high-volume outside-shooting teams. Miami has beaten teams with size. Miami has beaten teams with quick guards and long forwards. This is what Miami has seen all playoffs long, and, on paper, Dallas doesn’t look much different.
Once upon a time, such a team was Miami’s worst enemy. Time and complacency, on the other hand, are Miami’s present enemies. Miami may have an “old” team, with only two players in the regular rotation under the age 29. These players, however, are veterans. They all joined forces with Pat Riley this season for the sole purpose of winning the championship. It’s time to put the critics to bed for Miami.
Wade and Haslem have had enough of leading their college teams into the Final Four with no championship to walk away with as their best basketball playoff achievement. Walker, Williams and Posey have heard enough about their questionable styles and influences. Payton and Mourning have heard enough about having played in so many playoff battles to no ultimate avail. O’Neal has heard enough about not being able to win a title without Kobe Bryant or being too old to do so. And then there’s Pat Riley, who has heard enough since failing in New York more than ten years ago.
Winning the title won’t erase their pasts. But it will make the journey there worth every second of it. |
