Heat vs. Mavericks: Convincing Win over Dallas Proves Heat Are NBA Title Ready

It just so happens that the Miami Heat look more like NBA champions than ever before.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat have silenced the doubters after what was an easy win for the Heat over the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.

The big factor in the win for the Heat was their ability to shut down the Dallas Mavericks defensively in the first half. For the game, the Heat allowed 94 points, allowing just 41 in the first half of play.

A solid defensive effort, paired with a stellar offensive game for Wade and James, was reason this Heat team was able to elevate their game. The two combined for 63 points and 22-of-40 in the 105-94 win.

James would score 37 of the 63 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists in the process.

What made the difference on offense for this team was the ability of Wade and James to play out of the post. The Heat were able to outscore the Mavs 44-28 in the paint, which was the key in giving the Heat the 11-point win.

The 105 points is essentially a misleading statistic, as the Heat actually scored a whopping 97 points in the first three quarters. With the significant score differential, the Heat would play their bench a good amount in the final quarter.

From the beginning, it was all Heat, as the first half ended with a 62-41 lead for the 2010 NBA Finalist Heat team.

Given the atmosphere in Dallas and the raising of the banner prior to the start of the contest, the Heat were on a mission to go out and destroy the former NBA champions. And it was these Heat that would do just that.

Considering they have yet to get much help from free-agent acquisitions Shane Battier and Eddy Curry, there is all the more to look forward to with this team. The sky is the limit when two of the game's best offensive talents take the court on the same team.

It's too early to call the Heat an NBA champion lock, but it is evident that Wade and James spent time working together to develop more fluidity on the offensive end. If the defense plays the way they did in this contest, fully expect the Heat to be the NBA title favorites come postseason time.