Okay, a new thread for the NBA Finals. Predictions, speculation, wild theories.

Personally, I hope for Mavs in 6. I really can't stand the Heat.

Frankly, I could see about anything happening in this series. This really is the unstoppable force (Dirk) meeting the immovable object (Miami's D).

Should be a wild and crazy ride.

I know both VelvetGuru9 and I had picked the Heat over the Bulls in six.

For the finals, I'm also picking six as the magic number... for the Mavs.

Then get out the kitchen!

Mavs in 4 it's either defend Dirk and leave Peja Stojakovic wide open or defend Peja and leave Dirk open to gut The Heat like fresh trout

Heat in 7. They've shown amazing resiliency in the last two series. Mavs are going to be better this time around, but when all is said and done, Dirk is going to be known as basketball's Jim Kelly. Great, but without a title.

Yeah don't think I didn't notice your little jabs in the prior thread. If the heat win, I'm gonna spam you gloat PMs for a week. Perhaps a sig/avatar bet is in order...

Yeah cause clearly the heat only have one defender so they have to pick between dirk & peja...

1. Spamming my PM folder is a great way to be reported to a mod.

2. I don't bet.

3. Maybe if LeBron wouldn't rip the heart out of Cleveland in an hour-long narcissistic reality show and then have a huge party to celebrate all the championships they haven't won yet in Miami people might like the Heat more. Just a thought.

Well, the Mavs are loaded right now, and playing very well together. I like them in this series, but as I said, anything could happen.

Don't confuse my distaste for the Heat for a fandom of the Mavs. Though I do like Mark Cuban for being utterly insane.

Mark Cuban = the Charles Barkley of owners.

Dude you are no fun...

What harm is there in a little avatar bet for a short week? If the Mavs win, I will plaster a pic of Lebron crying on my Avatar and the little caption above it will read whatever comment you'd like that won't get me in trouble. "Cry baby Bron Bron," "Suck it Heat," "I lost a bet to Mal," you name it!

How about if we do it for charity like the Lebron announcement?

It was for Charity Mal. He was the biggest free agent name in the last 20 or so years in professional sports. He gave Cleveland 7 years of his prime, did he not have the right to go and play wherever he wants like all professional free agent athletes?? Does he not have the right to make a charity event out of it? I heard on the Colin Cowherd show that in the Boston Miami series, the #3 city with top ratings (after Miami & Boston) was Cleveland. C'mon Cleveland, it's time to move on.

Dirk Nowitzki is the only guy who scares me on the Mavs.

50 year old Jason Kidd and 45 year old Peja don't scare me much...

They have not faced a defense like the one that the Heat are playing right now.

I'm taking the Heat in 6.

Mavs in 6. Chicago's problem was that they had no one to create besides Rose. They were also young. I watched last night, Miami didn't win so much as Chicago choked. Thibodeau doesn't coach offense enough.


Nowitzki is virtually undefendable. The Mavs also have a lot more guys that can create for others or create their own shot. They're a lot more balanced. And I think Shawn Marion has an awesome series defending Lebron. His length will cause trouble for Lebron. Kidd may be a bit slower, but he's the smartest player on the court and will cause trouble for Wade, unless they put Stevenson on Wade. Bosh will have a tougher time due to the interior size of Dallas. Joakim Noah is a hustle player, but Chandler is a better defender.

And don't pretend that Lebron did that whole stunt for charity. He did it for the limelight. The charity thing was a convenient cover for his narcissism. He strung Cleveland along when he had no intention of returning there. He is a free agent and it is his right to play where he wants, but don't string a city along. Bosh going to Miami didn't bug me. Carmelo wanting a trade and Amare wanting to leave didn't bug me. They made no secret that they were leaving. Lebron wanted the limelight, and victimized Cleveland in the process. He gave them hope when there was none, and that's what ticked me off.

I'm predicting Dallas in 6, but I'm hoping for a Dallas curbstomp in 4.

All he had to do is issue a statement the day before saying, "Look, Cleveland, it was fun, but I'm moving on. Now stay tuned to see where I WILL go."

Instead, he ripped out a tortured city's heart in the most cold and calculating manner possible. Charity or no, it was a real #### thing to do.

So yeah, LeBron is a self-absorbed ####. Personally, my opinion is that if he wanted to go anywhere... that's fine. I really don't care about that. What bothered me is how he left.

Heat fan here and I loved the decision, but not how he went about it. For me though, that's now a non issue and the Finals will be the "new decision". It's win or go home and I see the top two teams in terms of commitment to teammates, and coming together and playing the very best ball right now. Both wiped out their man nemesis in convincing fashion. For the Mavs it was the Lakers and for the Heat it was the Celtics. It's gonna be tough, but the Heat win it in 7.

It's not that the Heat only have one Defender it's that they'll need like 3 just to cover Dirk and if they send another two to cover Peja Stojakovic then that leaves the rest of The Mavs open to make uncontested shots.
That's what five defenders just to make sure 2 guys don't score but the problem is The Heat can't win with that tactic. At some point The Heat will have to pull defenders to cover Terry & Kidd and that will allow Dirk & Stojakovic to make those easy jump shots they love so much.

The Heat won't have to pull defenders at all. When Mike Kryzewski coached the Olympic team, he said that Wade was his best defensive player. Wade's a shutdown guy and you saw him play D on the taller Deng in the Chicago series, so he'll have no problem covering Jett or even Kidd if he has to. LeBron will be tasked with guarding Stojo, so that's a win-win for the Heat since Peja is going to have to guard LBJ. And for the record, guarding Stojo will be a lot easier for James than guarding Derrick Rose.

The Heat may switch up their post players and put the better defender of Joelle Anthony on Dirk at some points to give him different looks and because the Heat are so fast, you can be sure the double is going to come and that the rotational perimeter defense will have no problem getting back to their man.

Dirk will have some problems guarding Bosh since he's not used to playing power forwards that can create their own shots, but he did do a great job on Gasol, so that could work in his favor. BUT, just like in 2006, the Mavs have no one who can guard Wade and although Marion is a good defender, he can't guard James one on one for 40 good minutes, let alone 20.

If this game turns in to an offensive slugfest, that favors Dallas. I think Stevenson and even Kidd can frustrate Wade. Even if Wade gets by, he'll have two 7-footers in the lane to block his shots. Kidd is too savvy to fall for Wade's pump fakes all the time. When Lebron James gets going, no one can guard him. That's when you have Stojo give him a hard foul and disrupt his rhythm.

The Mavs are also longer than the Heat. That caused problems for them in the Boston series which they won largely due to Rondo's injury and choking on offense late in the game, much like the Bulls did. I really don't see the Mavs choking on offense at the end. That will make the difference.