2011 NBA Finals: How the Dallas Mavericks Can Beat the Miami Heat

The Dallas Mavericks will have their work cut out against the potent Miami Heat. But while the white t-shirts go into effect this week, you can forget the white flag. Dallas has already shown they can slay giants, so expect them to have done their homework on LeBron James and Co.

In particular, the Mavs will have noted some interesting trends in James' offensive strategy during the recent Eastern Conference Finals, some of which may provide opportunities for the underdogs these NBA Finals.

Allow LeBron the outside shot

First, consider that James likes to shoot from the left side of the floor, and in that mid-range area between about 15 and 21 feet. He's prone to pulling up there, sometimes off balance and with far less poise than Michael Jordan (though his 46 percent field goal percentage these playoffs indicates otherwise). The numbers can be misleading because James pulls up his average by bulldozing into the paint and lobbing the ball over blockers.

The truth is, James likes the mid-range pocket on either side of the foul stripe, despite missing from that location far too often, and especially at key moments in a game. In Game 4 against the Bulls, for example, "The King" missed a number of mid-rangers in the third and fourth quarters and in overtime. Yes, he also dropped a few, but not enough that Dallas should fear it.

If the Mavs can utilize their zone defense by sitting back on perimeter ball handlers—and therefore James—they should be able to tempt him into popping it from those spots, preferably foul line extended.

Commit to zone defense and rebounding

This will have a secondary benefit for Dallas, playing to one of its major advantages: height. With Tyson Chandler anchoring the baseline defense, together with Nowitzki and Marion on the edges, Miami won't have it so easy driving inside.

So in protecting the key and asking the Heat to shoot 15-footers, Dallas plays a low risk brand of defense that should also better position them for rebounds. And defensive rebounding is certainly a task they'll hope to execute well to have any chance of winning. Chicago, of course, struggled offensively against Miami, but Boozer, Deng and Noah owned the defensive glass, stifling second chance shots for the Heat's Big Three.

James made a few more left wing mid-range jumpers in Game 5 of the Conference Finals, with more miscues coming from the right. Ideally you'd like to see a greater number of clankers from the left if you're Dallas because it'll mean James is favouring that side, where it’s easier to force him to his off hand.

Some questions have been raised about Jason Kidd's ability to stay with Dwyane Wade, and those doubts may be fair given that Kidd's motor has slowed. But realistically, who can defend Wade one-on-one? As long as Kidd directs Wade around the key instead of allowing him through it, the Mavs should be able to rotate and help out their point guard.

Wade will get his shots off, and also draw fouls. Both he and James each shot 11 free throws in Game 5 against Chicago, and 17 charity shots between them in Game 4. Thus, the chief issue becomes containing the duo—being fleet-footed enough to push them into those mid-rangers and tough enough to bang them when they step inside. And don't discount Kidd's quick hands. He can still rattle ball handlers, especially ones like James who tend to fumble around the three-point line in the waning minutes.

Stick to the offensive plan

Offensively, Dallas needs to simply hold the pedal down. Nowitzki has been on an attacking tear recently, not only shooting sharply but opening the floor for teammates like Kidd, Barea and Stojakovic to knock down threes. He went 10-of-17 for 29 points in Game 2 against the Thunder, 12-of-20 for 40 points in Game 4, then 8-of-15 for 26 points in Game 5. That's Bird-like and we all know what Bird did to supposedly great defenders during his finals appearances.

Use smarts and savvy

Look, this will be a tough out for Dallas. No question. They'll need to move the ball faster than the Miami’s feet and make the best of their superior marksmen. Their size should also give the Mavs a distinct advantage on the boards, particularly on the defensive end.

Lastly, they have the smarter, more experienced “Big Two” in Nowitzki and Kidd. Sure, their knees are creaking and at times they'll need oxygen to keep up with their energized opponents. But these guys have superb basketball IQs, won't be overwhelmed by the occasion, and are quite possibly looking at their last hurrah.

These three factors alone could go a long way to determining who's still standing at series end.