Rinse. Repeat.

Break out the old game tape, the NBA will have a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals. The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat both finished their conference finals series in five games and both teams have clearly played the best basketball in their conferences over the first three rounds of the playoffs. The Mavericks defeated the Portland TrailBlazers (a team I thought would pull the upset) in the first round, destroyed the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, and flexed their muscles against the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference. The Heat have handled the pressure and expectations through their first three rounds against the Philadelphia Sixers, Boston Celtics, & Chicago Bulls and they seem to be putting it all together at the right time.

2006 was all D-Wade.

When these two teams met five years ago, things were quite different. The Mavericks had the young head coach (Avery Johnson) and Miami had the well-known veteran (Pat Riley). Dallas had a quick, explosive, young point guard in Devin Harris. And Dwyane Wade put the Heat on his back and carried them to a championship while averaging 35 ppg and earning the Finals MVP award. However, it's interesting to look back and see the similarities between 2006 and 2011. In 2006, the Heat were the 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and defeated the top seeded Detroit Pistons to reach the finals, another team that was built on defense and had the best regular season record, similar to this year's Chicago Bulls. The Mavericks entered the playoffs with a good record, but were not considered to be the class of the Western Conference and didn't carry the expectations they've had in other years, similar to this year's Dallas team. And both teams will create interesting match-up problems for each other, similar to 2006. Who guards Dirk Nowitzki? Who prevents LeBron from getting into the lane at will? Who does Jason Kidd guard? Will Miami be able to counter Dallas' depth off the bench? Will it even matter? There are so many questions that will be discussed over the next few days, and that's part of the fun in the build up to the NBA Finals.

Will Jason Kidd be the difference?

When I look at this series on paper, I think the Heat will win - but I'm not confident enough to put money on it. The Mavs are playing great right now, and Dirk Nowitzki might be playing better than anyone. I know the Heat just shut down Derrick Rose, but he was also inconsistent in the two rounds leading up to playing against Miami. I think Tyson Chandler can present problems for Chris Bosh he hasn't had to face yet, and I like what Dallas brings with their second unit. Even though they'd have to close out on the road, I like Dallas' chances a lot more if this series goes six or seven games. Still, I think the Heat are the better defensive team and I think they'll be able to keep the Mavericks from getting many open looks. I also think the Heat are the type of team you look for when filling out your bracket for the NCAA Tournament every year - the team that may not have played the best over the entire season, but they appear to be peaking at the right time and playing their best when it matters most.

And because we still have 4 days until this series actually starts, there will be a ridiculous amount of coverage and discussion about the same topics. Here are some things I'm sure everyone will be sick of hearing, if they aren't already:
  - The "I'm taking my talents to South Beach" quote by LeBron James
  - What would winning a title do for LeBron's legacy/image?
  - Is Dirk one of the best players never to win a championship?
  - Is this season a failure for the Heat if they don't win the title?
  - Can the Heat handle the pressure and expectations of the NBA Finals?

Jalen Rose - ESPN's NBA Idiot

Here's my last thing about the Heat and the way they are talked about in the media - MAKE UP YOUR MIND! One day, Miami can't handle the pressure, expectations, hatred, can't finish, & "championship or bust" mentality they have experienced throughout the season. The next day - the story is that the Heat have magically handled the pressure, tuned out all the distractions, their coach has done a masterful job, LeBron will be the best ever, this team will get better and better, and let's give them every championship for the next five years. Their goal at the beginning of the season was the same as every other team - to win the NBA championship. Now, they are four games away from meeting that goal. How about we wait to evaluate their season once it's actually finished? Oh wait, that doesn't help ratings and doesn't give our former NBA player now turned useless analyst something to talk about. Nevermind.