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.

My "Teams"



J.J. Redick likes the Magic as much as I do.

As much as I enjoy following professional sports, I'm really not a die hard fan. I'll watch games, read recaps, look up stats, & follow front office decisions, but not for just "my team." I have always been a sort of sports statistical/trivia freak (it's more pathetic than cool) and I enjoy learning as much about different players and teams and leagues as I can. I'm much more passionate and loyal in college sports, following Duke basketball and Georgia football and baseball very closely, but I don't really have strong professional allegiances. In the MLB & NFL, there are certain players and teams I enjoy watching, but I don't really have a strong rooting interest in any of the games. In the NBA, I want guys that went to school at Duke to succeed and I usually pull for their teams. However, when I was younger, I was much more loyal to two specific teams.

Growing up in Roanoke, Virginia, there wasn't a local pro team to follow - in any sport. We had minor league baseball and hockey teams, but they constantly changed affiliates and no one really cared unless you went to a game. The closest teams to the area were the teams in Washington, D.C. (Redskins, Bullets/Wizards, later Nationals) & Charlotte (Hornets & Panthers). We never went to any game in Washington and my dad and I would occasionally go to Hornets games, but we weren't big fans. Instead, I became a fan of the two teams I could watch on TV all the time, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Braves. As part of our satellite package, WGN (the Chicago station) was one of our channels, and we were able to see almost every Bulls game. And because the Braves were owned by Ted Turner, we watched nearly all of their games that were shown on TBS.

Johnny "Red" Kerr

It didn't hurt that I grew up in the Golden Era of Bulls basketball and Braves baseball. The Bulls teams of the early/mid-90's are some of the greatest in the history of the game and the Braves were dominating the National League and regularly playing in the World Series. I knew everything about the starting five for the Bulls and their second unit, and I could roll through the Braves lineup and give you the starting rotation - important priorities for a 7 year old. As I look back on it, it's funny to me that those were my teams, even though I had never seen either of them play in person.

"BRAVES WIN!"

I watched the two teams religiously on what were essentially their home tv networks and had strong loyalty. I grew up listening to Johnny "Red" Kerr announce Bulls games and Skip Caray cover the Braves. I have memories of Michael Jordan chalking his hands in front of Red Kerr before tip-off and Kerr yelling "MICHAEL" when Jordan would hit another back-breaking shot during those dominant seasons. I have memories of Skip Caray calling the masterpiece pitching performances of Maddux, Smoltz, & Glavine and announcing "BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN!" when Sid Bream slid safely into home to put the Braves into the World Series in 1992. Those are the sports memories I grew up on and part of what made me so passionate about sports. Those two announcers brought sports to life for me and made me feel like I was part of the game. Both have passed away in the last couple years, and sports broadcasting isn't the same without them. They were two of the greats and they were the two primary sports voices of my childhood.

 

I still hate the Knicks.



Even though I'd no longer consider myself a huge fan, I still want the Bulls & the Braves to do well. I was fortunate to be able to attend a number of Braves games while going to school in Athens, and the Bulls have a couple former Duke players, Luol Deng & Carlos Boozer, who are both doing well. The hatred I used to have for the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, & Los Angeles Dodgers still lingers from the 90's and I hardly ever pull against the Braves or Bulls. I'm not nearly as passionate as I used to be, but those were the teams I grew up with - and, in a way, I guess they'll always be "my teams." 

Best & Worst

There have been a number of big things happening in sports over the weekend with plenty of excitement. There was the NFL Draft, the NBA Playoffs, the MLB season in full-swing, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, & much more. I haven't been glued to the TV for any of the previously mentioned events, but I have kept an eye on most of them and have a general idea of what's been happening. All that being said, I'm picking what stood out to me as the best and worst performances of the weekend. I'm completely ripping this idea from The Dan Patrick Show (by far the best sports radio show out there). So...who did and didn't get it done this weekend?

Best: Memphis Grizzlies
Who would have thought the Grizzlies would handle the Spurs with relative ease in the first round of the playoffs? They ended the series in game six on Friday night in Memphis, but they really should have closed it out in game five earlier in the week. Zach Randolph was unstoppable down the stretch for the Grizz' and they played like the more talented team. It ended an era of playoff futility for the franchise and seemed to mark the end of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. Still, most people probably thought the celebration would end Sunday afternoon when Memphis would have to travel to Oklahoma City to take on Kevin Durant and the Thunder. Coming off the emotion of the big win Friday night and having to face a young, talented, physical team in an early start Sunday afternoon seemed like a bad spot for the Grizzlies. I guess everyone forgot to tell the Grizzlies that. They led throughout against OKC and were carried by strong post play from Randolph and Marc Gasol and have jumped out to an early series lead again. It'll be interesting to see how far they can ride this momentum. And one other thing - if I'm coaching an NBA team, I want Shane Battier. He's not going to blow you away, but he changes the culture of a locker room and his teams ALWAYS have success.

Worst: Atlanta Braves Bullpen
I don't care that they pulled out the win today, the Braves bullpen has been terrible this weekend. In the three games against the Cardinals, they have given up the lead in the 8th inning or later all three times. Are you kidding me? With all the negativity and controversy that has surrounded this pitching staff over the past week, I was hoping they would rally together and have a strong weekend on the field. The starting pitching has been very good, but the late inning guys have not done their jobs. Allowing the leadoff man to reach base has been a problem and there have been too many bad pitches to good hitters. The Cardinals are not an easy lineup to retire and Matt Holliday might be hitting the ball better than anyone in the game right now, but you have to be able to get tough outs in the 8th & 9th innings. It was thought that Jonny Venters & Craig Kimbrel would be able to shut the door in most games (and I still think they will) but this weekend will not go in their highlight tapes.