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Tyson Chandler’s 2011 NBA Finals Success will Help for Big Free Agency Payday

The key to the Dallas Mavericks NBA Finals series against the Miami Heat was having someone other than Dirk Nowitzki add to the team’s success.

In Game 4 of the Finals, one of the biggest factors in the Mavericks victory was the stellar play of center Tyson Chandler

Chandler told ESPN Dallas:

It was all about effort. We knew that it was going to be a tough night ... with the lineup change and then the way Dirk was feeling. We were going to have to step up and we were going to have to do whatever it took to get the win. I knew my guys would need more shots tonight, so I tried to crash the boards as well as get out in the lane and run and get some easy baskets.

Combine the spectacular play during the finals with his regular season success, and Chandler could be the most sought after free agents on the market this offseason.

Must Read: NBA Finals 2011: 10 Ways for Miami Heat To Ensure Series Victory over Mavericks

Chandler has shown that he can average a double-double (points and rebounds) throughout an extended playoff run, and his ability to draw fouls has been one of the underrated aspects of this series.

At 7’1”, Chandler is one of the most physically athletic big men in the game, and his defensive prowess far exceeds that of many centers in the NBA. Every team in the league will be looking to add a younger center that can show up at both ends of the floor.

I expect the Dallas Mavericks to be the most likely destination for Chandler next season, but if they win the title, I wouldn’t be shocked if he was satisfied with the championship and would go elsewhere for the money.

Check back for more on the NBA Finals as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Basketball Page to get your fill of the NBA Finals.

—Donald Wood

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NBA Finals 2011 Reveals Inconsistent Play From Future HOFer

It's a well known fact that Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki are the only two remaining members of the Mavericks club that reached the 2006 Finals against Miami.

But there's only one player--and it's neither Terry nor Nowitzki--on the Mavericks squad who's appeared in multiple NBA Finals and that's the future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd. (On a side note, aside from the Heat's Eddie House, who has yet to play in the series, Kidd is the only player on either roster with more than one trip to the Finals prior to this year).

That's what makes Kidd's performance in this year's Finals such a head scratcher.

He's definitely had some big moments, including a few big threes that helped Dallas continue their now trademark comebacks.

And his defense has been very good on the Miami backcourt: last night he had three steals.

But--and this is the surprising, almost shocking stat for a player who currently ranks second all-time in assists--he's also been pretty careless with the basketball throughout this series.

He's turned the ball over 16 times and several of the resulting steals were less the result of a quick or smart defender and more about Kidd attempting wild, cross-court passes.

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Granted Miami has the league's best defense and completely handcuffed Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo before that. And against a great defense like that there are times when you have to gamble and try to threat a pass to Dirk Nowitzki or attempt to capitalize on a fast break.

But given some of the passes he's made it wouldn't matter who they're playing if he's simply throwing the ball away.

The bottom line is Dallas is lucky to have Kidd and he's been a major factor in this run and their "Cardiac Mavs" status. But a few times, it was Kidd's sloppy passing that helped Dallas find themselves in a hole to begin with.

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NBA Finals 2011 Producing PF's Best Play

The ill-fated "Decision"--rightfully so--placed an enormous target on LeBron James back, one that he will probably be trying to rid for years....even if he should win this year's NBA Finals.

And the non-Heat fans disdain for James has been apparent throughout this entire NBA season.

But the Heat's "other" big-time free agent last summer, Chris Bosh, has been frequently maligned as well.

Whether or not the criticism Bosh drew during the regular season and first three rounds of the playoffs was deserved is fairly immaterial at this point: Miami reached their goal of the NBA Finals.

And while James hasn't done enough--especially in the past two games--to come close to silencing his critics, Bosh certainly has.

After overcoming that eye injury in Game Two--which was clearly swollen and probably hard to see out of--he hit the game winning shot. And if that wasn't enough, he followed that effort up with his best game of the series, hitting nine of 19 attempts for 24 points and hitting several important jumpers in the second half.

Just ask head coach Eric Spoelstra how vital Bosh has been in the last few games:

“Defensively, he’s anchoring us...Whether he’s making shots or not, we run a great deal of our offense through him — and he allows it to work. Now there’s no question about it: We’re a more dangerous team the more aggressive he is. Even some of the attempts he missed last game right at the rim, I like it. I just want him in the attack mode; I want him to be aggressive.”

Still, all anyone wants to talk about is James offensive inadequacies. But without Bosh's consistent (and improved) shooting, the Heat wouldn't have had a chance to tie it up in the final minute.

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NBA Finals 2011 Changes Directions In A Heartbeat

It's only four-games-old, but there is a good chance this edition of the NBA Finals is the most back-and-forth series we've ever come across.

And it's not just about the narrow finishes, which (three of out of four) have been marvelous.

No, it's more about the runs and the change of momentum that have defined essentially each game.

The Heat have repeatedly had sizable leads only to see Dallas tie the game then take full control of the action. And although the Mavericks have been considered the comeback darlings, the reverse has also been a theme of this series.

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So while today's off-day suggest that Dallas has all the momentum. Tyson Chandler had an outstanding game last night, as did Jason Terry. And a fevered Dirk Nowitzki did his best 1997 Michael Jordan imitation with his game clinching bucket at the end.

Meanwhile LeBron James now has to answer (more) questions about his "disappearing act" in crunch time and--to some extent--so does Dwyane Wade, who missed a key free throw and botched the play at the end of the game. 

But if we've learned anything from this series, its that momentum should and will change in a heartbeat at some point during Game Five. In fact, it will probably change several times.

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Dwyane Wade's Final Minute Doesn't Overshadow First 47

I know that we live in a "what have you done for me lately?" society, but I sure hope no one is criticizing Dwyane Wade today.

Yes, he completely dropped the ball (literally and figuratively) on the Heat's final possession when they were down three and had time to get off a quality shot. And he did miss an enormous, potentially game-tying free throw attempt with 30.1 second remaining....his third miss on the evening from the line.

But Wade--who still has one hand on a second Finals MVP trophy--was absolutely dominant last night.

He has an explosiveness in going to the rim that is as good as anyone in the NBA and has displayed it time and time again in this series, to go along with a string of extremely clutch jumpers.

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But it's what he's done on the defensive end that's made him every bit as valuable as his teammate, the King. Wade had two steals and two blocks last night, including an ridiculous stuff of Tyson Chandler, who is nine inches taller, at a key moment in the fourth quarter.

Yes, you can say the same thing about Wade's close to Game Four--the true greats shine in the finals seconds--that is often said about James. And it's true, Wade squandered two opportunities to pull Miami even with Dallas in the last  30 seconds.

But considering how much James struggled from the field (3-for-11), Dallas would have shut the door on Miami far earlier than the final half minute.

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NBA Finals 2011 To Be A Big Moneymaker For Dallas Center

Is Tyson Chandler a better player than Dirk Nowitzki? Absoulely not. Not even close.

Has Chandler--a free agent at the end of the season--been more valuable than Dirk to the Mavs during the playoffs or the regular season? Again, no way.

But in this particular series, it's hard to look at Chandler's contributions and not think he's been at least as valuable as Nowitzki.

Case in point last night.

With Dirk somewhat incapacitated, Chandler dominated the boards, collecting 16 rebounds, tossed in 13 points, and had an awesome assist to Shawn Marion at a critical moment in the game. More importantly, however, was how he helped defend the lanes (in the second half at least) and keep Dwayne Wade and LeBron James from those easy dunks.

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Much like James argued after Game Three, it's not always about scoring points and the stat sheet. Nowitzki collects the sexy offensive numbers, and is the centerpiece of that team. But because they have another seven-footer in Chandler, he doesn't have to be nearly as active on the defensive end of the floor and can back in Joel Anthony or whomever else near the hoop.

Nowitzki hit the key shots in Games Two and Four and will undoubtedly be the MVP of this series should Dallas prevail. But without Chandler, this series would not be (eventually) heading back to Miami. 

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NBA Finals 2011 Hinges On Perimeter Shooting

If you watched Game Four of last night's NBA Finals and were unable to look beyond the main storylines--Dirk Nowitzki's flu, Dwayne Wade's turnover at the end, LeBron James stunning eight-point effort, another Mavs comeback--there was one that you probably missed.

The 11-points DeShawn Stevenson provided in the second quarter. He nailed three three pointers in a very brief span to help the Mavs get back into the game right before halftime.

Watching him drain those triples and see James, Wade, Mike Bibby, and Mario Chalmers miss all of their three attempts made me wonder if the winner of this series might come down to three point shooting.

Don't get me wrong, aside from Stevenson, the Mavs weren't much better from beyond the arc last night: A flu-riddled Dirk missed both his attempts and passed on several more (perhaps because of his tired achy legs) as not one of the starters made a single triple either.

In all the Mavs and Heat combined to shoot 6-for-33 last night (18%).

In all neither team has been terribly selective with their attempts: there seem to be a lot of three point tries late in the game with the score even or just about so. Both road teams have been fond of that "knockout punch" to silence the crowd.

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Both teams have guys who can hit the triple. Miami has Wade and James along with Miller, who have each bailed out Chalmers and Mike Bibby. And if Stevenson can continue his stroke from Game Four, Dallas can rely on him along with Dirk, Jason Terry, and Jason Kidd, who has really improved in that area. (It would be nice, however, if they could count on Peja Stojakovic....which they can't.)

Series are never defined by one stat, and especially three point percentage. But don't be surprised to see the team with the best percentage over the next (potential) three games, claim the championship.

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LeBron James Struggles Offensively In Game Four]

Maybe it's fitting that LeBron James is always playing with his mouth guard, on the court, off the court, during time outs, in between free throws, etc., because his reputation has been battered around like a boxer entering the 15th round.

I have to say that the question that reporter asked following Game Three about "shrinking" was ridiculous. Not only is 17 points from James a solid effort, but he did contribute a great deal on the defensive end and feeding his teammates. More to the point, the Heat won that game.

But last night was a different story. James wasn't "bad" on the defensive end--far from it. He had two steals and grabbed six defensive rebounds. But he didn't play his usual dominant effort. And on the other side of the floor, he may have dished out seven assists, but he was only three-for-11 from the field and one of those buckets was a tip in that he barely touched with his left hand. He also turned the ball over four times.

Now I don't think he "shrunk" at all during Game Four. In fact, I don't know if he's ever "shrunk." But I do wonder if that speculation about not being a "superstar who rises to the occasion" is something that weighed on him entering Game Four.

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LeBron is something of a contrarian: he loves to do what people aren't expecting of him: case in point going to Miami in the first place.  And now, I wonder if he feels "you all think I should take more shots? I'll show you and take fewer shots and get my teammates more involved."

That's fine to an extent, but at some point, the Heat are going to need more offense from James. Eight points in a pivotal Finals game is not going to cut it. And as the model he's been chasing all his life, Michael Jordan, once famously said "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

It's time for LeBron to heed that advice.

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Dirk Nowitzki Re-Writing Legacy In One Postseason

Last night's performance by flu-ridden Dirk Nowitzki was hardly a Willis Reed moment: that came in a decisive Game Seven triump. And it really wasn't as good as Michael Jordan's effort in Game Five of the 1997 Finals, when he scored 38 points and hit the game winning shot while barely able to stand.

But it was close.

In the game's middle 40 minutes or so,  Nowitzki didn't do much: he started great with three early buckets and finished spectacularly, hitting free throws and a critical layup down the stretch.

So overall that effort can't be considered on par with Jordan's 38 points, one of the most memorable and historically significant individual efforts in NBA history. But when you look at the collective effort of what Dirk has done this postseason, it's hard to think that his performance isn't as historically significant....win or lose.

Yes, he's had a few 40-point efforts, several 30-point efforts, been over 20 points per game all but once, and nearly averaging 10 boards as well.

But it's the late-game heroics that are most important, and most memorable.

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For at least this one postseason, he has been as clutch down the stretch as any player in NBA history, and that includes Jordan.

Ultimately, when Nowitzki's career is said and done, he's going to be judged by whether or not he ever delivered Dallas a championship, something he can do by the end of next week.

But even if he doesn't, the way he's carried Dallas into the Finals and, right now a 2-2 series tie, might be considered the great basketball achievement in the 21st century.

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LeBron James At  The Center Of Major Twitter Splurge

So there's an interesting Twitter trend swirling around the internet.

People out there seem to think LeBron James hairline is receding--not surprising considering how much  stress he's been under since last July. Many think that fact deserves a theme song and have taken to twitter to voicing their opinions on James-Hair-Gate.

(As a side note, while this isn't the greatest piece of PR for the King, at least it's taking away from the commentary on his "shrinking" play....something that wasn't dispelled by an eight-point effort last night in the Game Four loss.)

Here are a couple of the more clever ones out there.

-From MayatheB: "99 Problems" and your hairlines one?

-From ThatDudeMCFLY:  Craig David - Fill Me In

-From Tim_Sanchez:  "Baby Come Back" - by Player ..... "You can blame it all on me. I was wrong. And I just can't live without you"

But I have to say that the best comes from ItsaPROBLEM, who takes us back to the 1970s via a classic TV Show theme song: "Movin' On Up" -The Jefferson's Theme Song

In an attempt to get in on the fun, here are three of my own entries. What do you think?

3) "Disappearing Act" by Chris Cornell

2) "You Won't See Me" by The Beatles

1) "When I'm Gone" by Eminem

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NBA Finals Proves Mavericks Experts At The Comeback

The Dallas Mavericks may as well not  even both with a game plan until the last half of the fourth quarter: they have proven that they can battle back from basically any deficit.

Last night, turnovers, missed open shots and layups, and at times awful defense, caused the Mavericks  to fall  behind Miami in Game Four.

But, behind 76-69 in hte middle of the fourth quarter, they once again got hot at the right time and surged ahead to even the series at two games apiece.

By no coincidence it all centered around  their star, Dirk Nowitzki. Despite the flu that seemingly sapped his strength, Nowitzki somehow mustered the energy to continually go to the rack against  Miami's outstanding defense.

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First that produced several free throw attempts that helped Dallas chip  away at the deficit. Then it paid off in the game's most critical moment, when--with the Mavs  clinging to a one point lead and less than 30 seconds  remaining he drove to the lane and just barely banked a layup off t he backboard before Dwayne Wade could block it.

That allowed Dallas to take a three point lead, which completely altered Miami's end-of-the-game strategy.

You never want to be behind by several buckets in the fourth quarter of any game, especially the  NBA Finals. But for  whatever  reason Dallas is bucking that rule.