Dirk Leads Dallas to First NBA Championship

One player left the floor a few seconds early to escape the crowd because he was overcome with the emotion of victory. The other player left the floor immediately after the buzzer, head down and the look of defeat spread across his forlorn face. It was polar opposites between the two biggest stars of the NBA Finals as Dirk Nowitzki needed a moment after his Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in Game 6, 105-95. On the other bench, LeBron James was foiled again and took the long, quiet walk back to the locker room knowing that he once again was second place. Where did it go wrong for the Heat? That's debatable but one thing that isn't is Dirk's greatness. With a championship under his belt he has cemented his status as one of the best players to ever play the game while LeBron continues to struggle under the microscope he has put himself under.

Dirk Nowitzki put on a clinic the entire playoffs and when he came under the weather during the Finals he still performed well. In Game 6 he was 1-12 shooting for the first half which was so un-Dirk-like that it seemed there was no way the Mavs could win. However, Jason Terry brought his jumper and kept Dallas in the game and in the second half we saw the Dirk we all know and love. It was clear that Terry and Nowitzki were on a mission to get their rings and not have a repeat of the 2006 collapse in which they lost four straight to Miami after going up 2-0. This was a totally different Mavs team and three key pieces that weren't there in '06 helped win the title. First, Jason Kidd has showed that he still can play as he climbs up in years. While he isn't as quick anymore and the dazzling plays become less and less, Kidd is a steady point guard and one of the greatest point guards ever. He will someday be in the Hall of Fame and he can now add a ring to his resume after two failed attempts with the New Jersey Nets. The experienced floor general found the open man and came up with timely steals throughout the playoffs. His backup, J.J. Barea, was also a big factor for Dallas with his quickness and his shooting. The undersized Barea averaged nine points and three assists in the postseason and irritated teams with his drives to the hoop. Tyson Chandler was perhaps the most important piece to the puzzle as he supplied muscle, athleticism and size in the post. He grabbed boards and blocked shots, but maybe the best thing he did was keep possessions alive with his tip outs off of misses.

For the Heat, they will have to go back to the drawing board and figure out what went wrong. They should take a piece out of Dallas' book and try to find a veteran point guard who doesn't need to score and they need a more reliable center. Joel Anthony did nice things but at the end of the day he is an energy guy who comes off the bench. Chris Bosh stepped up his game in the postseason and, for the most part, quieted his critics but he will need to find consistency in the offense next season. The point guard position is the main problem for Miami as they recycled players through that position. Sometimes it was Carlos Arroyo, other times it was Mike Bibby and then other times it was Mario Chalmers. Somebody has to be brought in or a current Heat player needs to step up and accept the role if Miami is to win as many championships as they have promised to their fans. Lastly, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have to figure out how to play together. At times they look fabulous sharing the ball and feeding off of each other but other times they are too unselfish. A prime example would be the fourth quarter of Game 6 when the ball was passed around like a hot potato because nobody wanted to take the shot. That problem has to be solved or one of them will have to hit the road.

Dwyane Wade

Obviously criticism has already come the Heat's way as it should. There are no excuses for the way they performed, especially late in games. LeBron was particularly awful with an average of only 2.2 points in the fourth quarter of the Finals. That simply can not happen when he is supposed to be the closer. However, if he is not getting the job done then Erik Spoelstra needs to bench him. Last night he came out of the game and the Heat took the lead midway through the 2nd quarter. It was the perfect scenario for them because it looked as if they would open up a big lead before the half. And then....LeBron came in and the Mavs regained the lead before the half. The stats don't lie from last night: the Miami Heat played better when LeBron James wasn't on the floor. Something had to be wrong with him in the series because he wasn't the same player. In the Chicago series he was the closer and took the big shots but he was M.I.A. in the fourth quarter of the Finals. Rarely was LeBron good at the end of games and next year the ball needs to be in DWade's hands come crunch time.

Was the season a total failure for the Heat? I don't think so but I do think it was a partial failure. They may not have had the right pieces but they were certainly good enough to win the title. But give Dallas credit, they played phenomenal basketball and it's nice to see them win after so many years of heartbreak. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd can now put a ring on it after all these years and the Mavs have a great team that works together and plays hard. Those are qualities of a team that can be a dynasty if they perform how they are capable.