<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marvinmartian @ Jun 4 2006, 03:10 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think the Mavs have the more talented and deeper team, making them better overall, while the Heat do have 2 superstars compared to 1 for Dallas.I do think it'll be an interesting series, but I think this IS the Mavs year, and something special is going on.</div>So Marquis Daniels, Stackhouse and Keith are better then Zo, GP and Posey?We have the deeper team here, you have the better starting lineup as I stated before. Howard is a good player but he can get incosistent sometimes as can Stackhouse with his bone head plays.Dirk is going to be a huge problem for us yes but Shaq should be just as much of a threat if you really think an average center like Dampier can guard the most dominant player of his era.
The Mavs starting five is better, and Damp/Daniels/Stack/Harris/KVH is better than Zo, GP, and Posey.Don't forget the Mavs go at least, a legit, 10 deep. Those are the best 3 guys off the bench for Miami, a little bit of a difference I think.Now to be fair, I don't think the Mavs deepness is clearly better in this series as it was in the Suns/Memphis series', but it's still better.I just think the Dallas team is better overall, and the Mavs dont' depend on Dirk as much as the Heat need Wade/Shaq to play well.Oh and that "average" Dallas defense sure did look bad against the Suns didn't it?I mean holding the Suns under 100, just about, for all 4 of their wins, and basically shutting them down in the later stages of the 2nd half of both games 5 and 6, when it really matters, doesn't show anything at all.I know they aren't the Spurs or Pistons on defense, but they aren't the average defense someone claims them to be.That's just laughable, and shows that some people don't watch or understand basketball much.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Marvinmartian @ Jun 4 2006, 04:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The Mavs starting five is better, and Damp/Daniels/Stack/Harris/KVH is better than Zo, GP, and Posey.Don't forget the Mavs go at least, a legit, 10 deep. Those are the best 3 guys off the bench for Miami, a little bit of a difference I think.Now to be fair, I don't think the Mavs deepness is clearly better in this series as it was in the Suns/Memphis series', but it's still better.</div>Mavs starting five isn't better by much. All of our players play lots of minutes every night so we don't need that many minutes from our bench but it is still solid either way. You do rely on Dirk just as much as, without Dirk scoring over 20 your probably not gonna win(look what happened when he scored under 20 against PHX). Wade and Shaq don't always put up huge numbers and we don't really need them to all the time.When Antoine, J-Will and Udonis are hitting there shots it's take alot of pressure off of what Wade and Shaq have to do. We just need Wade and Shaq to get there usual 20 points but there going to have to put up more in this series.Also, your bench isn't as deep as it looks.Keith, Marquis, Dampier and Harris averaged 28 ppg combined in the playoffs and you have to have either Harris or Stack running the 2 guard.In 5 players you have 28 points while in 3 players we have 18 points combined.
I agree with you about relying on Dirk to score, but I don't think it's going to be an issue. Seeing as how that was Dirk's first time to not score 20+ in what? 42 games or something? I'm not worried about it. (I know you said he'd probably get 30 ppg, but I'm just reiterating not to count on him having a bad night)I think Stack, Harris, and JET are going to be the big factors in these games. They were pretty quiet in the Phx games, but I think against the Heat their respective quicknesses will come into play.Dampier isn't going to be a scorer for the Mavs, it just doesn't work that way. The most important part of how he plays is going to be how aggressive he is with Shaq, his rebounds, tip-ins, etc. Same goes for Diop. They certainly won't stop Shaq, but that's not the issue. Unless you chain him to your own basket, he's going to score. If they can slow him down, annoy him, whatever, that will do quite a bit. Diop was an annoyance to Nash in my opinion. He didn't stop Nash by any means, but made him hesitate a lot and got a couple blocks. Personally, I think Van Horn sucks balls. I have already made this clear in other threads. IMO, his defense is lousy, and his offense doesn't match up well with the rest of the team. Stack jacks up some dumb shots, but at least he maintains some kind of regularity of how much he scores each game. Van Horn is too streaky. Once again, with that said, he can still be a nice option to go to, and I think he'll be a more viable solution against the Heat than he was against Phx.I'll take Mavs in 6, with the 2-3-2 as my crux as well.
If Miami split the first 2 games, then have a legit shot to win it in 5. They have been nearly invincible at home in the playoffs. Since Wades arrival, Miami is 22-4(I think) in home playoff games.
Once I see game one then I will give you my prediction. I want to see how we end up guarding Dirk. That's the only factor I have doubts about in this series.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Rok @ Jun 4 2006, 01:05 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Um hello? Dampier is still on the Mavericks and has done a great job on Shaq the past years ever since Damp became a Mav, and Shaq became a Heat. So I'm confident in being able to contain Shaq. Same goes for Wade, because of the perimeter defenders we can throw at him. Change it up with Griff, Howard, Harris, Daniels, even Armstrong. The main thing though is about guarding their role players more then guarding the big 2. Shaq and Wade will get there's but it's about stopping Walker, Jwill, Haslem and Payton.</div>You're crazy if you think Dampier alone could guard Shaq. Of course Shaq will turn it up in the Finals and get his 28 ppg, 12 rpg.As for Wade, he shot 70% from the field against the best perimeter defense in the League. I think it's already pretty clear that he won't let the Mavs defense hold him back.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Heatfan32 @ Jun 4 2006, 03:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Also, your bench isn't as deep as it looks.Keith, Marquis, Dampier and Harris averaged 28 ppg combined in the playoffs and you have to have either Harris or Stack running the 2 guard.In 5 players you have 28 points while in 3 players we have 18 points combined.</div>The points from the bench isn't the part you need to be looking at, i don't believe. The part you need to be looking at with this depth, is that with 5 extra players that can hit the floor and play good minutes, compared to three, that is two extra bodies to be running around. The Mavericks players are going to be fresher with the rotations they will be able to make having the deeper bench. Add to that, the Heat's depth is fairly old compared to the Mavericks youthful depth, and that makes the bench much better. Come fourth quarters of each game the Heat are going to be considerably more tired and fatigued in general than the Mavericks will be. This i see as a huge advantage going for the Mavericks, and i see them winning the fourth quarter and second half in general alot in this Finals series.I am picking the Mavericks in 6 games.
I'm going with the Heat. No one on Dallas can guard Shaq or Dwayne Wade. I know Detroit wasn't palying up to par defensively, but if they can't stop DWade and Shaq, Dallas definately can't. Dirk will average 30 PPG, Josh Howard will average 20, they'll get an inconsistent 20 some games from Jason Terry, but I see Miami being too much.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Heatfan32 @ Jun 4 2006, 03:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>So your going to base an entire series on 2 games played in the regular season? I already stated in the previous post why they will win but incase you missed it.-Shaq will dominate whoever he goes through-Wade will have huge games, tell me when hasn't he throughout the entire playoffs?Even against a good perimeter defensive team in the Bulls.-Our role players will continue doing it for us, as they have throughout the entire playoffs.-Yes Dirk will most likely have his 30 points per game but the question is will his teamates help him win the game.Once again, no one has yet to stop Shaq in the finals besides the Pistons but we already did with them.</div>Agreed, Dwayne Wade continuesely coming out with these huge games is part of the reason they weren't eliminated last round. Shaq as you said is unstopable. Sure Mavs have the German Bomber but if the Heat control the paint and watch out for Josh Howard, Jason Terry, and Dirk, they should be able to control the game defensively. I'm saying the Heat in 7.
The Heat should get their points but as seen with the Spurs/Mavs series the Mavs can put up a lot of points. I just don't see the Heat bothering the mavs on offense that much. Is Antoine Walker going to guard Josh Howard? Haslem on Dirk? The mavs should have an offensive field day with Miami. I predict Mavs in 6.
Everyone knows that Dirk and Shaq have no one that can defend them on the other team, and while Wade has been great, the Mavs have players that CAN hassle him, while the Pistons really only had one guy that could guard him, and he didn't do that great.The Mavs don't have to be up to par with the Pistons defensively to beat the Heat. Hell, the Pistons weren't up to par with their normal defense to win, and it wasn't the defense their defense that cost them the series.The fact that the Piston have no offense to speak of that cost them.Look, if the Mavs play as good as they have on defense, and keep the same level of offense they've played, then they'll win this series.I don't think the Pistons were good enough on offense, and their defense didn't pick it up enough to make up for it.Sure Shaq and Dirk won't be stopped by anyone in this series, but Wade will have to score 35 points a game for them to win more than 3 games, and I don't see him putting up that much every single game to win this series.Some of you are vastly underrating the Mavs team defense, the Suns made it look bad at some points, but the Heat aren't the Suns on offense.The way the Mavs shut down the Suns in both game 5 and 6 of their series just shows how good defensively they can be.Mavs in 6.And you have to be an idiot if you think any team, besides the Spurs, can beat the Mavs 2 games in a row in Dallas(games 6 and 7 are in Dallas)...remember Dallas has one of the best home courts in the entire league, including Miami. The Mavs have lost twice at home these playoffs, and one was too the Spurs, when the Mavs were without Terry due to his suspension, and when the Suns blitzed them in game one, and the Mavs still should have won it if not for a lucky basket by Diaw with 4 seconds left.
Wade isn't going to have to score 35 points for us to win, Antoine Walker is going to have to score 20 for us to win. Our role players have always been the key in the playoffs since Wade and Shaq are clearly reliable.I'm not sure if anyone can guard Wade either, the emotion and heart he plays with there is unmatched. I don't really see why we can't win in 7 in Dallas. It's alot tougher to win on the road but it's not impossible and I'm not going to count them out just because Dallas has an amazing record at home.Were going to have to take ALL of our games at home if we want a chance to win it but I can see us winning Dallas in 7.
Something I wrote else where:<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>C: Shaq-Zo vs. Diop-Dampier - Its a clear advantage for Miami. But I got a feeling that Diop will be flopping all over the place. Gotta watchout for those fouls Shaq. Advantage MiamiPF: Haslem-Walker vs. Dirk- Dirk has improved his game so much in these playoffs. He became 'mentally tougher' according to the media. He will get the superstar calls. Its a matter of if Haslem's play will be annoyed by it. Advantage DallasSF: Walker-Posey vs. Howard-Stackhouse - Walker and Stack can score a lot of points. But both guys need a lot of shots to do so. Howard and Posey are the do it all guys for each team. Howard reminds me of a young Posey. I wonder how Howards ankle is doing now?Advantage DallasSG: Wade-Payton vs. Terry-Griffin - Terry is a great offensive weapon. Griffin has been their perimeter stopper this year. And has been very good at this year. But this is Wade we are talking about. This is his time to distance himself from everyone else. Advantage MiamiPG: Williams-Payton vs. Harris-Terry - Jwill can be explosive on offense ala game 6 of the ECF. Payton can show some glimpses of the glove. But they are not consistient as Terry/Harris combo this postseaon. Advantage DallasDallas in 6.</div>Thoughts?But like I said somewhere else, if Miami can steal a game in Dallas, I wouldnt doubt Miami winning in 5.
If Haslem is going to guard Dirk, then this series isnt go to go so well defensively for the Heat. Haslem is 6'8, while Dirk is exactly 7'0, WITH RANGE, and Haslem wont come out to the perimeter and try to disrupt Nowitzki's long-range bombs. This will become a huge matchup problem if it does happen, and nobody on the Heat roster can really guard him...their perimeter defense is very mediocre. Dampier isnt skilled offensively but can make Shaq work too, same with Diop. I dont know why people dont think Diop cant handle Shaq. He is 7'0, and 280 pounds, y'know. He also has a pretty big wingspan and it can affect Shaq's little jump hooks inside. I'm not saying Shaq is going to be shut down, all I'm saying is that Diop and Dampier are certainly going to make him work. Howard is a decent defensive player, but I admit he cant stop Wade. Wade is just too quick for him, and Howard needs to work on his footwork on defense if he really wants to try and contain Wade from going to the basket. Walker is going to be solid, maybe around 15 ppg. He might be even Tim Thomas for the Heat in this series. Terry might struggle in this series, he'll be guarded by Payton a bit more than J-Will guard him, since Jet has been doing quite well in the playoffs so far. Payton is still regarded as a good defensive player imo, whether he's not the 'Glove' anymore, as some people say. Antoine Walker will be Tim Thomas in this series offensively, everyone on the Dallas roster will leave him open at the perimeter since they are paying so much attention to what Wade and Shaq are doing. Defensively, he will still have problems guarding Josh Howard. In each round the Heat have played in, Walker has had to guard a quick SF. In the first round, he had to guard Luol Deng, even though Deng only averaged 10 pts, Walker still had to deal with Deng's quickness. In the semifinals, he had to guard Richard Jefferson, who went off for 21 ppg. Jefferson had the first step and quickness that Walker simply couldnt guard, especially in the New Jersey fast break ran by JKidd. In the ECF with Miami, he had to guard lanky 6'9 SF Tayshaun Prince. Prince's quickness on offense and his long arms on defense bothered Walker very much, which is why he had his worst statistical series in that round. What I'm trying to point out here is that Walker will have the same exact problem with Howard, and thats why I believe Howard will go off for 20 ppg. After all these reasons I have listed, I think Mavs take this series in 6.
This is the first time both teams make the finals if I'm correct. They haven't played against each other much and have no experience in the finals so it's hard to say which team will have the experience factor here either.
Zards, I would like to see Miami use Shandon Anderson on Dirk. Hes the same player as Bruce Bowen but without the 3 point corner shot. Dirk cant do jack on Bowen, but this postseason Dirk got a lot of calls off of his fadeaway jumper. Maybe refs are starting to respect Dirk a lot better, which is not a good sign for Miami. Miami will be doing a lot of experimenting with different types of defenses. You will eventually see a 2-3 zone, something they did beautifully against the Pistons.
i say miami in 6. this should be a really good series. both teams i think are first timers in the finals. i don't think any players on dallas has ever been to the finals before. i think shaq and wade during this run have been brilliant. i think miami has a deeper bench and big zo should have a really good series off the bench since this is his first finals appearance and he always got the shaft in the playoffs to mj and the bulls or yours truly :happy0144: i'm still rooting for miami of coarse so i hope my pre-season prediction is correct. GO MIAMI!!!!!!!
I highly doubt the Heat can come to Dallas and win a Game 7 on the road which has never been done in NBA Finals History.. but was almost done last year Pistons baby. With that said I predict Dallas in 6 games.. they have all the weapons needed to slow down Shaq with playing the run and gun offense and the tough in your face defense which will give Shaq and Haslem a hard time. Plus Dallas has one of the best drivers in the NBA in Dirk, Harris, Terry, Howard and even Stack. Shaq is gonna be in foul trouble if those guys continue to get to the paint. Plus the Miami's perimeter defense is not good, with Wade, Williams, and Walker.
