LeBron, Wade, and Bosh Amped Up for an NBA Championship Together

There are exceptionally luxurious cars out there these days. They have the plush interior, the bells and whistles, the gorgeous paint job, and it can get going if you feel like taking a cruise on a Sunday afternoon.

Then there are cars that have all the exact same features, except with a higher price tag. You pay extra for more power and greater intelligence. A faster engine, better on gas, bigger wheels, and some extra torque that lets that baby haul after burning up some serious rubber; all things worth every penny.

The Dallas Mavericks have all the nice features: a superstar in Dirk Nowitzki, a solid group of playoff-tested veterans led by Jason Kidd, a great basketball mind in head coach Rick Carlisle, and a team-first oriented owner in Mark Cuban. All the parts necessary for a finely tuned machine.

The Miami Heat has all of that and then some. They are current and sexier. They have the playoff experience, Finals experience, and championship experience; not only wearing jerseys and holding clipboards, but creating contracts too. Except this car can climb the speedometer at a faster rate, maintain its speed for a heck of a lot longer and travel further than the previously mentioned model going out of style. Gas mileage is quite a deal breaker these days.

The Dallas Mavericks know this. Dirk Nowitzki spoke about how the Miami Heat are “the biggest challenge” they’ll face in the postseason, adding “LeBron is knocking down shots left and right.” LeBron James has had a few respect-demanding games during this postseason run while Dwayne Wade has yet to go on a scoring romp we are accustomed to. All of this while Chris Bosh finds his post season persona at his own pace. The Dallas Mavericks should be a little wary. Of course, none of them would ever express this to the media.

Well you know, besides Jason Terry already talking about removing that presumptuous tattoo of his.

“We’re a bunch of veterans, we’ve seen it all,” proclaimed Dirk at the pre-Finals press conference in Miami yesterday. They have seen it all up until this point. They have not seen a team with the after burners that Miami has. As the 7’0" German recalled beating them twice in the first half of the season, he stated how the Heat have become a “complete new team since the new year.”

Safe to say most would agree with that observation.

The Dallas Mavericks know they can beat the Miami Heat. They are not scared nor naïve. The players may not think about it when not prompted to due to their focused mentality, but the coaching staff does, I guarantee you that. They know the Heat are accelerating as they cruise through the playoffs.

Yes, they share the same playoff record of 15-3. Sure, the Dallas Mavericks swept the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers in emphatic fashion; however, they were dealt a nice hand. San Antonio was taken out early, and a dysfunctional Lakers locker room ran into a three point shooting saw mill down in Dallas.

Can they match the sheer ferociousness of the Miami Heat? Each series, the Miami Heat have shifted to a different gear. Their talent and treasure trove of championship knowledge could kick this team into a gear the Dallas Mavericks simply do not have.

Miami is the favorite for a reason. Three is better than one. Vegas agrees. Dirk Nowitzki has been playing magnificently in these playoffs, but so has LeBron. Each has been worthy of MVP honors thus far. We really have not seen these two perform this good this consistently.

Dirk has a solid team around him, but the team is on his shoulders. LeBron is on Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem’s team. That may not be the media’s version, but that is their version and south Florida’s as well.

Preparing for the Finals, both teams are putting their final game plans in place. It is probably safe to say Miami is extremely comfortable with theirs. With multiple guys to guard the towering German jump shooter, Miami is confident.

How confident? The last real practice before Game 1 was “too amped up,” according to Coach Spoelstra, so they ended practice early as a precautionary measure. Dwyane Wade, a day after sitting out practice (to search for where he left his jump shot), added that even he “mixed it up” a bit.   

This team has been waiting for this for quite some time. Getting over the Boston Celtics hurdle became a reassurance for this team that they are headed in the right direction. The pouring out of emotion could prove to be what kicked this team into overdrive. The Chicago Bulls just happened to be a pesky school zone.

Age can be a cruel reality to an athlete, young or old. Ask Derrick Rose or Kevin Garnett. The Dallas Mavericks want to capture the moment. This team’s time has almost elapsed. They need to hope they can get their jump shots and open looks from the three point line. A team built on offensive firepower via the trey and jump shot better remain hot against a furious fast-breaking, take-it-to-the-hole-and-get-to-the-charity-stripe opponent.

The Miami Heat have already started their parade. They continue to march to the line and take the free bees at an 80% rate in the playoffs. The Heat have out-shot their opponents at the free throw line throughout the playoffs; 144-87 against 76ers">76ers">76ers">76ers">Philadelphia, 153-106 against Boston, and 139-110 against Chicago. Shooting over 130 more free throws than their opponents, the Miami Heat can afford to have off nights and still win. Ask the Chicago Bulls, they’ll tell you.

Dirk Nowitzki must take over a game in Miami, where the Heat are undefeated in the playoffs, which is easier said than done. The decisive game of the NBA Finals will be Game 2, but there’s plenty of time for that at a later date.

Miami’s lock-down, switch assignments defense will give the rest of the Mavericks' starting lineup headaches. Personally, I think the big three secure “a ring on the resume” in six; however, they could blow right past the Dallas Mavericks in four or five. Dallas should win at least one at home.

Dirk Nowitzki needs someone to rise to the occasion in these NBA Finals. He can carry them to victory for a game or two, but not four. The Miami Heat, the sexy sports car with all the amenities, have began to hit their stride. The big three started burning the rubber this past week leading up to Game 1. The Dallas Mavericks best chance to win will be to beat Miami off the starting line and force a split going back to “Big D.”