Tue May 31, 2011 | 9:14 PM, EDT | ABC-TV
American Airlines Arena | Miami, Florida
GAME #1
"2-3-2" Distinctive NBA Finals Format
MIAMI: Homecourt Advantage
3 DALLAS "Good Guy" MAVERICKS
2 MIAMI "Hollywood-as-Hell" | Villain HEAT
Rematch of 2006 Finals Series
Won by Miami Heat; D Wade, Shaq & Co. in 6 Gms
(Unforgettable/improbable Under-7/14-Pt Gm 6, Miami Comeback-Clinching Win)
2011 Teams arrive in Finals w/identical 12-3 Playoff Records
Both winning Conference Finals in 5
INIQUITOUS, 'HOLLYWOOD-AS-HELL' HEAT
A peevish Jokim Noah, expressed a straightforward (pain-induced), Post-Series appraisal of this Miami Heat Team as,
"A great team…they're Hollywood as Hell, but they ARE a great team"
Noah IS a beauty; & may have rung the bell-tone for a riveting NBA Finals
Could not agree more w/Charles Barkley's comments re. Noah, STATELY, 'EASY-ON-THE-EYES' MAVERICKS
Strongly believe most folks cannot put their finger on what they like about Mavs' style of Play…yet Dallas evokes the sort of Team-Basketball we saw in 70's & early 3-Point Line Days of NBA:
OUTSIDE-IN Basketball…a relic of sorts - GREAT eye-candy
The key cog in Mav Franchise for over a Decade
"Groundhog-Day NORTH"
[4] DAL 7-0 | 238 DIRK NOWITZKI (33y)
Genuine Hall-of-Fame-worthy, German Out-In,
Toiling w/workmanlike precision in Big-D for a Decade+
Inevitable, stereotypical comparisons to Larry Bird (as in 06 Finals)
Dirk Nowitzki may be another underlying rationale
For so much public adoration of Dallas
Casual Fan/Capper making up for lost time;
'Nowitzki (apologetically) slipped the collective fans' attention
For the better part of the last umpteen years
As Dirk & his Dallas Mavs move deeper in Playoffs
We're increasingly bombarded - hence, reminded
Of all of Nowitzki's vast & dazzling season-to-season production #'s:NOWITZKI:
1 of 3 Players in NBA HISTORY
To finish season Top-5 (PPG/Scoring) 10+ Consecutive Yrs
PUBLIC PERCEPTION: 'YANKEE-EFFECT'
IS DALLAS IS MORE LIKABLE as a presumed DOG?
vs. undisputed DESPERADO of NBA:
"Yankee-ish" MIAMI HEAT*?
(*Heat no longer get to 'split & divide'
"Hatred | Detest" Crowd w/The LA Cats' in Purple-n-Gold)
VR speaks into a "Yankee-Effect" w/NYY
Despite folks 'Hating' the Yankees
(The 'Polarizing Pinstripes')
The concept really ought to translate well
To Miami & this Series
Dallas still may not see much PUBLIC Sportsbook 'Support'
BUT BOOKS MAY BE LIKELY TO OVERVALUE or OVERPRICE
THE PRESUMED FAVORITE;
ESPECIALLY ONE DEEMED TO BE OPPRESSIVELY GOOD;
i.e., Miami; WHOM SHEEP TEND TO BUY INTO & LIKE FUN-FACTS
Regular Season Gms: Kilo-of-Salt?
Is it possible to pull any exploitable angles from Two Regular Season Dallas vs Miami Gms?
Unlikely to find any buried gem from Regular Season Gms Played before Xmas, yet ought to look anyway
DALLAS BEAT MIAMI BOTH TIMES Nov 27 at Dallas 106, Miami 95 Dec 20 at Miami 96, Dallas 98
MIA FG% 6th & 8th Poorest Season in 2 Gms vs DAL:
40.4% | 41.3%
MIA PG Pos: (Pre-Bibby) Big Issue v Kidd/DAL
MIA PG Pos: Combined 2 Gms, 8-23 FG | 6 Total Assists
DAL Kidd: Combined 2 Gms, BIG MIN
DAL Kidd: 4th & 5th Highest Min v MIA (37:22 | 39:07)
DAL Kidd: 4th highest Ast Total of Season v MIA (13 | Gm 1)
DAL Kidd: Combined v MIA 20 Total Ast | 6 T-Ov | 12 Reb
MIA James: Weak 11-36 FG (30.6%) 2-5 Deep
MIA James: 21 PPG Avg vs DAL (-5.6 PPG Below Season Avg)
DAL Nowitzki: Weaker FG% vs MIA, yet scoring slightly up
DAL Nowitzki: 17-44 FG Combined vs MIA (41.5% | -10.1%)
DAL Nowitzki: 1-9 Deep Combined vs MIA
DAL Chandler: 3rd Highest Reb Total vs MIA (17 Reb, Gm 1)
DAL Chandler: 13 Reb/Gm vs MIA (+3.6 Season Avg)
"THE BUTLER FACTOR"
KEY TO DAL TWO WINS vs MIA:
[3] DAL 6-7 | 217 CARON BUTLER (30 y)
Butler was lost for season in late Dec w/knee inj. He was scoring 15.9 PPG as Dallas #2 Leading scorer - now rumored to be close to a limited return (J Nelson-type deal | Orl two yrs ago?)
DAL Butler & his Small Fwd counterpart MIA L James
Both led all scorers w/23 Pts in Mavs Nov Texas Win
YET, made LeBron work on both ends
LJ toed the stripe 15 Times (13-15)
Yet, James was hounded/pressured into
5-19 FG
(0-4 Deep)
w/5 T-Overs to 4 Asst
DAL Butler: 33.5 Min/Gm vs MIA
DAL Butler: 13-24 FG (54.2%) Combined vs MIA
DAL Butler: Two Gms vs Heat had 1 T-Over per game
DAL Butler: Kept Tms honest from Perimeter, (as J-Terry)
DAL Butler: 4-5 DEEP, Combined vs MIA
As 'JET' & other Mavs Players indicated,
"Just seeing Him (Butler) in Lay-up Line would be so special for us"
Whether it happens or not, 'BUTLER-FACTOR'May have the desired effect:
Altering Miami's Scouting & Game planning enough
To produce semi-intended effect;
Similar to the 'Udonis Haslem' effect on Chicago (Skewed ONE-LARGE, overwhelming Edge Bulls could bank on; REB's, as emphatically demonstrated Gm 1).
W-O-W
"Gotta love that guy"We should all hope to be treated to 'More Noah', Dude is 5 to 1 to be working a room, pushing for the chair next to/near Charles Barkley in 10-15 Short Years
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