The Smarter Team

It's pretty obvious that the Miami Heat consisted of the most talented basketball players in the NBA. But time and time again the Dallas Mavericks proved that the game of basketball is won by smart players who know their role and play it well. Miami may have had the upper hand in athleticism and talent, but Dallas had intangibles which Miami could not contain.

All great teams have a great point guard. Jason Kidd was the prototypical floor general which Dallas needed to run an effective, fluent offense. How many times did you count where Jason Kidd passed up a decent shot to give a teammate an excellent shot? Several. There were instances where Kidd would catch a pass from a teammate, and before the ball was in his hands for even half a second, he had already delivered a dime to a different teammate. That's what 17 years of experience does for a team. Smart passes, unselfish play, and using your discretion wisely to make the right play. While many people see a washed up player in a 38 year old guard, I see leadership and poise in the clutch.

J.J. Barea is the prime example of an effective role player. Most people have never heard of the guy before the Finals, but the 6 foot speed demon lit up the Miami defense with excellent slashing skills and nice dishes to open players all series long.

Shawn Marion quietly averaged almost 14 points and 6 rebounds throughout the Finals, and was the key factor in the Mavericks' Game 2 upset in Miami, scoring 20 points and pulling down 8 boards. If the Mavericks didn't have Marion's outstanding efforts in Game 2, they probably would have ended up on the wrong end of the scoreboard, and buried in an 0-2 hole.

Who could forget about the big Tyson Chandler, who was rejected by Oklahoma City because of physical health concerns, nearly averaging a double-double in the series? And what about Jason Terry, who picked up the slack when Dirk struggled in Game 6, dropping 27 points on the defenseless Heat? While Miami's stars gave it their best efforts, the Big 3 just could not come up with an answer for the multiple weapons Dallas threw at them.

Props to Pat Riley, however, for doing his best to create a strong supporting cast for James, Wade, and Bosh. Adding Mike Bibby and Mike Miller were good ideas and helped Miami in doses, but the lack of a strong presence at center and still a void at the starting point guard position, the Heat could not secure a championship in the end. Miami's GM needs to look into adding experience and better role players, just like Dallas, if they want what Dallas finally has.

The Heat Won...wait, what?

The same issue Miami's had all season came back to haunt them tonight. The Heat gave up a huge 15 point lead with just over six minutes left to play, looking disoriented offensively and letting up on the defensive end.

Miami can't really blame Dirk. He didn't explode for 36 points like their own Dwyane Wade. No, Nowitzki had an average game at best, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and an ugly five turnovers. He was able to convert on the go-ahead layup with just three seconds left, but other than that, he wasn't necessarily an unstoppable force in tonight's game.

Why did Dallas win? They were poised. Most teams look at a scoreboard down 15 points with 6 minutes left and think about what's being served on the plane ride home. The Mavericks play hard every game, and they are certainly not going to give up in the NBA Finals, no matter how much they are down.

The Heat got complacent. My select basketball coach always told me to always pretend the score is 0-0. That way, you aren't too cocky, but you're also not discouraged. You're playing your hardest when the game is tied. But Miami was acting like it was up three or four hundred, and once Dallas began its comeback, the Heat began panicking.

To Dwyane Wade, Mike Bibby, Joel Anthony and Mario Chalmers: You guys deserved a win. Those four players left it all on the floor, while the rest of the Heat finished the game with a lackadaisical attitude.

Chris Bosh should have been riding the bench. He is the reason Miami struggled in the first half, shooting at an awful percentage and taking irrational shots from out of his range. Bosh was also the guy that got burned by slow, 7 foot Dirk Nowitzki in the closing seconds of the game. Sorry Chris, but you get an F- for today's performance.

The Mavericks should be throwing a party right now. They can close the series without having to go back to Miami once for the rest of the Finals. It's not going to be easy, but the light is gleaming at the end of the tunnel.

Chris Paul v.s Deron Williams

If you have trouble deciding who's a better player, imagine how the Utah Jazz felt in the 2005 NBA Draft.

The Jazz ended up selecting Deron at number 3, and the Hornets jumped on the oppourtunity to draft Chris Paul at pick number 4.

Since then, both have put up solid numbers, but who is the better point guard all around?

Lets start off looking at Chris Paul's strengths.

Paul has great court vision, which is a neccessity in today's NBA. Not only can he pass, but he goes into the lane without fear of bigger defenders, he can make floaters and pull up jump shots consistently. Has quick hands and feet, which results in the ability to get steals. Paul is a good ball handler, he can shake almost any defender in the Leauge.

Weaknesses:

Although he has quick hands, Paul doesn't seem to anticipate where the ball is going to be, and while he gets 2 or 3 steals he can also let the guy he's guarding score 40. He also seems to get a bit out of control, in college he developed a reputation as a guy who is willing to throw a cheap shot, even before the incident in the last game of the regular season where he punched Juilus Hodge below the belt. *

Overall, he is a great guy with amazing talent, but needs improvement on defense and attitude.

On to Deron Williams:

First of all, he may not look like it, but Williams is strong as an ox. This strength enables him to knock down deep threes, go into the lane and finish with contact, and fire passes to other teammates that defenders can't get to. He shoots fundamentally and consistently, and has fantastic playmaker skills. He has a good basketball IQ, he makes smart decisions and handles the ball well.

Weaknesses:

Although he shoots well, he could have a quicker release on the ball, this way he won't get blocked as much. He isn't very quick, so defense becomes a major concern. He lets guys like Wade and Parker score on him pretty easily, but if he could improve his lateral quickness he would be a force to reckon with.

Overall, he is a smart point guard with good all around skills, but he needs to get faster and improve on the defensive side.


My take on who's better:

Right now, Chris Paul is the better point guard. He doesn't have a very good team but took them to the playoffs with a good record. He basically did everything himself, he played a lot of minutes but didn't seem to tire out. He is very competitive and has a winning attitude. Williams could get to Paul's level if he could just win in the playoffs and improve on defense. Paul would burn Williams in one-on-one, but Williams' passing and shooting skills are better. If i were to build a franchise around one of these players, it'd have to be Chris Paul because of his abilities, and leadership.

*http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Deron-Williams-72/

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