NBA Playoffs 2011: Can Dallas Beat LeBron James, Miami Heat This Time?

In a finals few predicted, the Dallas Mavericks are taking on the Miami Heat.

I guess you can call this a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals. Few faces from either of those teams remain, but Dallas still has Dirk Nowitzki, and Miami still has Dwyane Wade.

Dallas is easily playing their best basketball in years. They handled their business in the playoffs with ease. They Beat Portland 4-2, swept LA, and knocked off OKC in five games. With that being said, history has a habit of repeating itself.

Will it this year?

We shall see.

Miami also had an easy time getting to the NBA finals. They knocked off the 76ers, Celtics and Bulls in just five games. This Miami team might have nearly the same roster as the 6-5 team that started the season, but they are not the same team.

Even though Dallas might be playing slightly better basketball, the Heat are close. Not surprisingly, they are number one and two in the playoffs in +- separated by less than two points. The Heat have the home court, but Dallas won the season series.

Dirk Nowitzki will create a lot of match-up problems for the Heat. It will be interesting to see if they put Bosh or James on him. James did an insane job guarding Derrick Rose (held him to about 7 percent shooting when he was guarding him).

However, can James stop the unstoppable Nowitzki? Can Bosh? Do they double him and leave someone open? We shall see.

The Heat, just like every other team thus far just needs to stop Nowitzki to win. However, no one up to this point has.

Dallas on the other hand will have to stop the big three. Stevenson will most likely guard Wade and do a decent job. Nowitzki will probably be on Bosh. The question is: Can anyone on Dallas stop LeBron James? Probably not.

However, Shawn Marion and company will try. Dallas will have to stop the transition buckets from James and Wade. It will be hard, but it could happen.

I wrote that Dallas was currently the team to beat in the playoffs. I still believe this, and that they are better than the Heat. However, Miami has persevered and made it to the finals despite the rocky season. Miami will win this series even though Dallas is the better team .

Miami wins series 4-2.