2011 NBA Finals: What We've Learned from the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks

The 2011 NBA Finals best-of-seven series between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks officially began last night.

Instead of the Heat's star power being enough to bulldoze the aging Mavericks, we saw in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter that "this thing ain't over."

What have we learned so far in the first two games of this series?

What can we take from the first part of what could be one of the best NBA Finals in a long time? 

Dwyane Wade Is Tough as Nails

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MIAMI, FL - JUNE 02: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat dunks against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Two of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena on June 2, 2011 in Miami, Florida. The Mavericks won 95-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges a

As much as many want to make the Heat "LeBron's Team," Dwyane Wade is still The Man in Miami.

He is the Heat player that seems to have the mental toughness to relentlessly keep taking it to their opponents night in and night out.

Thursday night, Wade put up 36 points on 13-of-17 shooting, with all but two of his baskets coming from inside the paint.

There's a Difference Between Age and Experience

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MIAMI, FL - MAY 31: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat looks to pass the ball to LeBron James as CHris Bosh #1 (R) sets a screen against Jason Kidd #2 of the Dallas Mavericks as Shawn Marion (2nd L) #0 of the Mavericks defends James in Game One of the 2011

Ageless legendary pitcher, Satchel Paige, once asked, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were?"

The Mavericks don't seem like they know how old they are.

Or maybe they are just a team that last night was able to draw from their experience to remain calm, maintain their poise and not give up when they were down 15 in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Whether it was getting stops on the defensive end or working for good shots on the offensive end, the Mavericks didn't panic.

The Heat Still Need More Than the Big Three to Win This Series

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MIAMI, FL - MAY 24: (L-R) Chris Bosh #1, Udonis Haslem #40 and Mike Miller #13 of the Miami Heat look on against the Chicago Bulls in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 24, 2011 at American Airlines Arena in Mia

Game 1: The Heat bench was dynamic and a main part of what led to a Miami victory.

Collectively, they scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

Game 2: The same Heat bench seemed lost and listless, contributing 11 points and seven rebounds to a disappointing Heat defeat. 

The Big Three need to come through. Period.

But even the Trio of Talent needs an effective suppoting cast to win a championship.

Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls needed Steve Kerr, Bill Cartwright, John Paxson and others to get it done.

So do DWade, LBJ and Bosh.

Dirk Nowitzki Is a CLUTCH Performer

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MIAMI, FL - JUNE 02: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks makes the game-winning shot to put the Mavericks up 95-93 with 3.6 seconds left in the game against Udonis Haslem #40 of the Miami Heat in Game Two of the 2011 NBA Finals at American Airlines

For most of his career, Dirk Nowitzki has been labeled "Soft," "Stiff" and "Spineless," especially when it came to big game performances.

Last night, Dirk proved (again) that he deserves to be every bit in the conversation with the top of the top players in the league.

Rather than simply finishing the game out, and trying to figure out how to come back from a seemingly insurmountable 0-2 deficit, Dirk put the Mavs on his back and carried them to victory.

Nowitzki took over in the last half of the fourth quarter. He had a hand in 14 points during Dallas' 22-5 closeout.

While his overall shooting percentage wasn't sensational (10-of-22 from the floor), nobody is going to remember anything but how he, injured finger and all, orchestrated one of the best comebacks in NBA Finals history.