NBA Finals 2011: 10 Things Miami Heat Need To Do To Beat Dallas Mavericks
It's not the dream matchup between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers that we predicted at the beginning of the season, but this is the best consolation prize you could possibly ask for.
The 2010-11 postseason is coming to a close and the NBA Finals come down to a matchup between the Big Three and the Miami Heat vs. Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat finished one game better than the Mavs in the regular season thus receiving home-court advantage. In the regular season, Miami finished 0-2 against Dallas with the last game coming on December 20th.
That's not likely to matter since the Heat are coming off two series where they finished 1-6 against the teams in the regular season and then 8-2 in the postseason.
The Heat have had a tough road reaching the NBA Finals, starting with a five-game series win against the young, upstart Philadelphia 76ers who arguably played the Heat better than any other opponent in these playoffs. Miami then beat the rival Boston Celtics in five games in the conference semis and then the Chicago Bulls in five games in the conference finals to earn a trip to the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks made it this far with more ease than most expected. They managed to overcome Brandon Roy's triumphant return with a six-game, first-round win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavs proceeded to shock the world with a sweep over the defending back-to-back champion Lakers before finally beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games to reach their first Finals since 2006, where they met and lost to the Miami Heat in six games.
There is bad blood between these teams with 2006 imprinted in the memories of the two lasting Mavericks from that team, Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Even with revenge on the mind, the Mavericks' chances of stopping the momentum of the Heat and denying LeBron James a title are slim.
Here are 10 things the Heat need to do to make sure that the trophy comes home with them.
Keep Mike Miller Involved
1 of 10
In the first 13 games of the postseason, Mike Miller had a combined seven points on 3-of-12 shooting overall and was 1-of-10 from the land of three.
In the past two games, Miller has 19 points on a combined 8-of-15 shooting from the field overall and 3-of-9 from beyond the arc. After some of the worst basketball of his career over the regular season and the first two series of the postseason, Miller has begun to have a positive impact on the floor rather than essentially being filler.
He no longer looks as tentative to shoot and appears to have a rhythm when he shoots the ball, especially from beyond the arc. In my interview with Voshon Lenard, he mentioned that the myriad of injuries to Miller's hands prior to the start of the season and over the course of the regular season have had a lot to do with his shot. Now that he is beginning to hit, Miller might finally have the stroke that the Heat paid $30 million for over the next five years.
The Heat will need Miller to produce if they want this series to not be a constant struggle. If Miller can make the offense honest by hitting shots and occasionally putting the ball on the floor, it'll free up LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for easier shot opportunities.
Get Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood into Foul Trouble
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If the Miami Heat have any major disadvantages in the starting lineup, it's at the center position where the matchup heavily favors Tyson Chandler over current Heat starter Joel Anthony.
As far as offense, there isn't too much to worry about aside from a few alley-oop connections from Jason Kidd. It's Chandler's defense and rebounding prowess that the Heat will need to worry about however. Miami had trouble against the Chicago Bulls frontcourt when it came to rebounding and they'll have their hands full with a player who had three games where he recorded over 13 rebounds in the postseason.
Another problem for the Heat would be Anthony on the offensive end of the floor. Since Anthony is hardly anything to worry about on the offensive end, it'll allow Chandler to defend Chris Bosh while Dirk Nowitzki will probably spend his time on the defensive end defending Joel. By defending Joel, it'll allow Nowitzki to conserve his energy for the offensive end.
This is where Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will need to begin to make their impacts felt. As players that thrive on driving, they'll need to do whatever they can to put Chandler and Brendan Haywood on their toes and force them to foul. The Mavericks possibly have the best one-two punch at the center position and it'll be up to Wade and James to keep those two out of the game for as long as possible.
As far as rebounding, the Heat just beat possibly the best rebounding frontcourt in the NBA. With Udonis Haslem and a number of other athletic rebounders on the floor, the Heat should be able to hold their own against the Mavs bigs.
Don't Fall Behind Early
3 of 10
Watching the Miami Heat make fourth-quarter comebacks during this postseason certainly has been a spectacle to watch. Not only are they electrifying and entertaining to watch, but they have been some of the most clutch and surprising performances by a team that anyone has seen in recent league history.
However, pulling off these fourth-quarter comebacks isn't the healthy way to win a basketball game, not even for a team as talented as the Heat. One of the biggest problems that the Heat have suffered from this postseason has been their inability to start games with energy. They've had no problem with ending the games on runs, but they continually fall behind early and are forced to play catch-up.
As entertaining as it is to see the Heat perform these one-in-a-million comebacks, it would be just as good for Heat fans and the team to see energy out the gate. The Dallas Mavericks are possibly the best team that the Heat will face this postseason and making comebacks might not be the way to play this well-rounded, multi-dimensional team.
To win games in the NBA Finals, a consistent 48-minute effort will be needed from every player on the Heat. By putting the Mavericks on their toes early and wearing them down with their athleticism as the game goes along, it would put the pressure on Dallas to make the comebacks. After a series where they nearly won every game off of a fourth-quarter comeback, the Heat should now force Dallas to do the same.
Ball and Player Movement
4 of 10
Give credit to the Chicago Bulls—the five games they played against Miami featured the best defense played against this new Heat team this year.
The Heat only scored over 100 points once and that took overtime. The Heat averaged 89 points per game for the entirety of the series against Chicago's top-tier defense, which thrived on hustling and a complete effort for 48 minutes. Miami only managed to pull through because it was able to use its athleticism to eventually wear the Bulls defense down by the late minutes of the fourth quarter.
Dallas' defense was just as impressive in this year's postseason, but it doesn't compare to that of the Bulls. However, the Mavericks can boast several quality individual defenders in Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion and DeShawn Stevenson. Even Jason Kidd was able to play quality defense against the Oklahoma City Thunder's star Kevin Durant.
For the Heat to beat a team with this many stars on the defensive end, they're going to need to execute very well when playing offense. They're going to need plenty of movement on the offensive end, so that they can possibly cause wires to get crossed amongst the Mavericks defenders. Not only that, but they can also find easier shots while wearing out the Mavs defenders from attempting to chase around the likes of LeBron and Dwyane.
Attack, Attack and Attack
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Do you still believe that LeBron James isn't clutch? As much as you don't want to fathom the thought, it's absolutely true that he is.
Do you also want to still believe that he has no jump shot either? It was apparent that James' mid-range and three-point game prior to the season could use some work, but with every clutch mid-range or three-point shot James hits, he continues to disperse the myth that he can't shoot.
While seeing LeBron's jump shot improve—as well as Wade's—is impressive, these are two players that make their team better by driving, slashing and drawing fouls. Against a team with two bruising centers that could impact the game, the Heat are going to need Wade and James to drive, get these players into foul trouble and free up the lane for other players.
If Wade, James or any player for that matter wants to thrive against the Mavericks' physical defense, they're going to need to force the issue of driving into the lane and keeping the Mavs defense on its toes and ready for everything. Once they begin to expose the Mavericks on the inside with their driving, then they'll find more space for easier shots from mid-range and the three-point line.
Miami is a team that thrives on attacking and it will need to keep it up for one more series if it wants to come home with the trophy.
Load Up on the Perimeter
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Quick, name all the threatening slashers on the Dallas Mavericks.
Exactly.
While J.J. Barea has certainly had field days with the defenses of Portland, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, it could be a completely different story against the frontcourt of the Heat. The point guard position was and still is being considered the Heat's greatest flaw on the defensive end with Mike Bibby, Mario Chalmers and Eddie House leading the way. That is until we saw them greatly limit Jrue Holiday, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose in consecutive series.
Dallas' offense doesn't rely on driving and slashing, but rather on the plethora of lethal shooters that can hit from just about anywhere in the half court. Currently, the Mavericks have four players in their rotation that are shooting above 35 percent from beyond the arc with Nowitzki leading the way at an absurd 52 percent. Probably the greatest threat from deep however is Jason Terry, who is taking nearly five three-pointers per game and connecting on 46 percent of them.
Combine that with the shooting prowess of Barea, Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic and DeShawn Stevenson and the Heat could face a few problems from beyond the arc if the Mavericks can find a rhythm with their passing and outside shooting. Miami's defense has been its strength for the entirety of the playoffs, but it faces a threat like no other from Dallas, where shooting wins games.
The Heat should load up their defense on the perimeter and force the Mavericks into either difficult shots or tough drives. Dallas has shot 39 percent from beyond the arc this postseason and are first in three-pointers made with nearly nine per game. Shooting is this team's strong suit and the Heat will need to force the Mavs out of their comfort zone.
Put Udonis Haslem on Dirk Nowitzki
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When the regular-season MVP isn't even close to being the best player during the postseason, it shows that the talent level is through the ceiling.
Throughout this postseason, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki have consistently been the best players in a runaway. Nowitzki, however, doesn't have the benefit of playing alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and has been the clear-cut leader of this Mavericks team for the majority of the postseason. He has averaged 29 points per game on 52 percent shooting to go along with eight rebounds and a 93 percent free-throw percentage.
It only makes it scarier knowing who Nowitzki has posted these numbers against. He did it against LaMarcus Aldridge, Marcus Camby and Pau Gasol in the first two series, and then soundly beat up on two quality defenders in Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison in the conference finals to lead the team to its second Finals appearance in franchise history. Dirk is also playing highly motivated and has been looking forward to gaining revenge on the Heat since his disappointing Finals loss in 2006, when he relinquished a 2-0 series lead.
So, how do the Heat defend this seemingly unstoppable force?
Why not try out the player that shut him down last time? One of only two players remaining from that championship team, Udonis Haslem did wonders defending Dirk Nowitzki the last time these two teams met at this peak. He held Nowitzki to 39 percent shooting from the field, was constantly physical with him and forced Dirk out of his comfort zone and out of rhythm.
The Heat will most likely use Joel Anthony or Chris Bosh at first to defend Dirk, but eventually it'll come down to Haslem defending Nowitzki when the game is on the line.
Feed Chris Bosh
8 of 10
My personal advice to the Dallas Mavericks: Do not get Chris Bosh any more motivated than he already is.
Carlos Boozer made that mistake and his team lost in five games thanks to Bosh having possibly the best postseason series of his NBA career.
Even though LeBron James has probably been the most hated player in the sporting world this year, he hasn't been criticized for his antics as much as his teammate has. Bosh has been called overrated, overpaid, soft and just about every other name in the book for his play during the regular season, where he would sometimes be outmuscled by opposing power forwards and be tentative when it came to driving.
Bosh has scored in double digits in all but two games this postseason with both games coming against Kevin Garnett and the Celtics. Against Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young, he had three games where he scored over 20 points. He then had four games against Chicago where he scored at least 20 points and two games where he scored over 30.
He had three games during the entire regular season where he scored at least 30 points.
Despite the less-than-stellar regular season, Bosh has been one of the biggest reasons for the Heat's postseason success. He's averaging 19 points and nine rebounds during the postseason and has frequently played the part as the team's No. 1 scoring option at times. His mid-range game has been at its peak and he's driving more than ever, making him more dangerous than he's ever been.
If Nowitzki is defending him, Bosh should be fed at all times and he should be the center of the Heat offense.
Allow Dwyane Wade To Get Healthier by Allowing LeBron James To Take Over
9 of 10
It turns out that this play might have been one of the most detrimental to the Heat.
Dwyane Wade is by far the most electrifying player in the league, but it comes with very high risk. He thrives on driving for the majority of his offense and puts his body on the line every time he drives. At only 6'4", Wade drives in amongst the biggest power forwards and centers and when he's met with resistance, it sometimes isn't pretty.
After a disappointing series against the Chicago Bulls where Wade looked out of rhythm, it could be completely plausible that he's been playing with an injury to his shoulder. He has received treatment, but hasn't been able to consistently provide enough of an offensive effort that we usually see from him. Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans are quality defenders, but Wade wouldn't be held to less than 24 points in every game just from good defense.
For these NBA Finals, the Heat need to use their athleticism to their advantage. There is no player on the team more capable of doing that than LeBron James, who was able to pick up the pieces. James is a lot more durable, isn't ailing in any way and is more capable of playing longer minutes than Wade.
This has nothing to do with who the better player is but more along the lines of who is more durable in the long run. Wade is the better leader and is just as clutch as James has been in the past few games, but in a physical series, you need a player that can take the abuse without getting hurt or adding more to injuries.
We're putting this injury on the rich fans of the Heat who had the audacity to not catch Wade when he dove into the first three rows.
Stay Motivated and Stay the Course
10 of 10
This is why Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James joined together—for the sole purpose of competing together instead against each other for a title. Critics can call it whatever they want, but at some point they will need to concede that the Big Three were right for making this decision and doubters were wrong for criticizing them for following through.
Do you honestly think LeBron James felt like playing with Mo Williams as his second-best player for another year? Or that Chris Bosh wanted to spend another year north of the border losing in the first round of the playoffs?
The purpose of playing in the NBA is to come away with a title and that's why James, Wade and Bosh are all wearing Miami Heat uniforms. This is the closest any of these players has been to a championship since James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals in 2007. None of these players has won a game in the NBA Finals since Game 6 in 2006.
For them to be this close not only proves that this experiment worked, but that they are extremely committed to obtaining a title. They might have mailed it in a few games during the regular season, but they have easily played their best basketball during the postseason and it has showed with three consecutive series of only needing five games each for the win.
The Heat have played with motivation from their critics and within themselves for the entirety of the postseason. They'll be going against a Mavericks team that is also extremely motivated and riding their fair share of momentum as well. However, Dallas doesn't have the likes of Dwyane Wade or LeBron James on its team and that's going to be the Mavs' eventual demise.
