Why does it already seem like forever since the Heat last played a game? And there are still three more days to wait? Come on, man!
I've already been asked 278 times who I think will win, and for no good reason I'm now saying Heat in six. I said it on TV on Sunday night, so now I have to stick to it. My only reasoning now is because I just can't picture the Mavs as world champs (other than Mark Cuban, who I can just see celebrating like a mad man, then getting emotional during the trophy presentation... Holy crap, you think Cuban, blog king, will read this? That would be pretty cool), but I can absolutely picture Shaq, Dwyane and Pat holding up a trophy.
There is one stat that makes me think the Heat could impose their will on Dallas. The Mavs have shot 46 percent from the field for the playoffs, but have allowed teams to shoot 47.5 percent. The Heat's shooting percentage, meanwhile, has improved in each series, from 46 against Chicago to 49 against New Jersey to 51 against Detroit -- three teams with pretty darn good defenses. If the Heat keeps the turnovers down (the Mavs only turn it over 11 times a game while the Heat is at 15-plus for the playoffs), I think the Heat's offense will prevail.
(Mark, if you do read this, I'm not saying the Mavs "CAN'T" beat the Heat. Just that the Heat "CAN" win it all. See, I read your blog).
I think Dwyane and Pat need to cool it on Wade supposedly being the first guy from the 2003 class to win a title. I know Darko doesn't count, but Josh Howard is also a member of that draft class. And while he didn't come with any of the hype that Carmelo and LeBron did, and Dwyane now does, Howard is a hell of a player. All this talk about Dwyane could just make Howard mad and that little motivational speech Riley gave could backfire on him.
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