Talent Triumphs

The Miami Heat will win the NBA Finals. This is my bold statement. Talent will prevail with the skills and athletic gifts of Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh. Dallas relies on the defense of their team and Dirk Nowitzki's shooting stroke and the combination of the Mavs' streaky shooters among them Peja Stojakovic, Juan Jose Barea, Jason Terry, and Jason Kidd. I don't think the Chicago Bulls would have won it, except if Derrick Rose stepped up his offensive and defensive game sets and won the Miami-Chicago series because of him. Simply put, Miami is the better talented basketball team than Chicago on paper, statistically and physically tested. Oklahoma City has a good basketball team too, but I think they are lacking what the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat have so far: the depth of veteran experience. They don't have the experience to win close games against either the Heat or the Mavs. This should explain why the Thunder lost in six games to Dallas in the west finals.

Preview of NBA Finals?

Great Game 4 between the Thunder and the Mavericks. I thought the Thunder were going for the kill, because they were up by fifteen points. Due to inexperience, Oklahoma City collapsed and gave away their lead to Dallas. The Mavs knew from experience that the game isn't over until it's over. There was still time to catch up. I think that OKC could use some of the experiences they learned here in Game 4 to not make the same mistakes again. They need to muster up some energy to keeping the lead late in games. I also like the Heat's energy against the Chicago Bulls. They went after loose balls, Dwyane Wade made two clutch blocks in overtime, and Lebron James played spectacular defense on Derrick Rose came the final seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime. I think the two better-played defenses and basketball teams overall, Miami and Dallas deserve to play in the NBA Finals. The Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder were definitely lagging from inexperience, playing against the Heat and the Mavs respectively.

Recap of NBA Playoffs So Far

I really have my wheels spinning. I really thought the Chicago Bulls would dominate these games they're playing. They survived and beat the Indiana Pacers in five games in the first round. I also thought the Los Angeles Lakers would dominate the NBA playoffs as well. The Bulls took care of the Atlanta Hawks in six games. I thought that would be expected of the Bulls to do so. I think the Lakers have lost their touch now. They're tired of each other and I think that they are tuning out their head coach, Phil Jackson. It's time for a change of scenery. Kobe Bryant wants Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw to run for Lakers head coach. That's what the king of the L.A. Lakers basketball world wants. If you want your star player happy, you keep him in L.A. Laker land and make him happy. I'm not surprised the Memphis Grizzlies dominated in their series against the veteran San Antonio Spurs. They were determined to be the better basketball team. They wanted it more than the San Antonio Spurs. That's why the Grizzlies beat the Spurs in five games. It came down to will and passion of the game. I think that's why the Grizzlies won. Of all the teams that are remaining and were playing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, I think the Dallas Mavericks are playing at the top of their game. They are executing their game plan, they look relaxed, they shoot rhythm jump-shots, and they take what the defense gives them. That's perfect basketball play. If anything, I think the Dallas Mavericks are more poised to win the NBA title than any other NBA team. The second team that comes close to playing as well as the Mavs are the Miami Heat. They are playing well as a team. Dwyane Wade and Lebron James are finally cooperating as teammates. Chris Bosh is the third wheel behind Wade and James, contributing whenever he is needed. Mario Chalmers, Mike Bibby, James Jones, Mike Miller, Zydrunas Illgaukas, Udonis Haslem, and Jamaal Magloire are all good role players and fit well into Wade and James' athletic systems. The speed defense that Miami plays under Heat coach Erik Spoelstra benefits Wade and James, because of their physical gifts.

East Finals: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat

The Bulls look invincible in Game 1. They outscored the Heat, they beat Miami to loose balls, they wanted it more. If I could sum up the Bulls' victory in Game 1 with one word: it is 'underdog.' Taj Gibson had two monster dunks to help Chicago secure the victory, one dunk that posterized Dwyane Wade and a throwback rebound off a Bulls missed shot in the final minutes. I think that Chicago may as well beat Miami with its depth, because they have five guys on the Bulls bench that can beat Miami's Big Three. Miami's bench is flawed, nonetheless, short. They don't match the Bulls' tenacity on the boards and on defense. If at all, this could be a short series for the Heat if they can manage to find a way to beat Chicago in Game 2.

2011 NBA Playoffs: Memphis Grizzlies

This is a team I have underestimated. A team coached by Lionel Hollins has actually a chance to win the Western Conference finals. This tough-minded team is led by Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, two of the Grizzlies' top front-court players. They have also Mike Conley, a sturdy point guard, whose floor leadership and dribbling skills are greatly valued as well as Tony Allen's athletic defense and streaky shooting. Add to this Grizzlies team with guard/forward Shane Battier coming off the bench and power forward Darrell Arthur and you might have an excellent NBA title contender on your hands. They will pound and grind you, that is their game. They can beat you any way, with outside shooting or with paint scoring. Don't underestimate them.