NBA Finals Preview - Heat v Mavericks

Image; Ryan Hurst

The Mavericks have been hot and have proved themselves the best team in the West. They ousted the tough Blazers, then swept the defending champion LA Lakers, and overcame a youthful Thunder squad in the Western finals. At times, Dallas has seemed unguardable. Meanwhile the Heat plowed through the East taking out the upstart Sixers, cagey Celtics and tenacious Bulls. The Heat have also shaken their early-season reputation for choking with strong close-out wins.
      Dirk Nowitzki has had excited TV analysts and announcers proclaim that he may be one of the best of all time, top 10, best seven footer, best jump shooter, and numerous other compliments skewed by the shortsighted passion of the moment. Dirk has been unstoppable on the offensive end, and it will be up to the Heat's surprisingly cohesive defense to stifle him. This playoffs he has shot 56% from the field, but in the two games vs the Heat this season he was held to 38% shooting. LeBron is probably the best matchup as a one-on -one defender with Dirk, and a superstar showdown is always fun to watch. Look for the Heat to switch defenders on Dirk constantly applying Bosh, Haslem, Anthony, James, Dampier, and Ilgauskas whenever they are ready. Once the Heat can rattle Dirk, the Mavs will crumble. We've seen the Heat be resiliant and come back for knock-off victories against the Celtics and the Bulls, so taking them out of the game early may not rattle them. It may, however, force Wade and LeBron to try to do too much and not get their teammates involved.
     The Mavericks bench has been more than capable this offseason led by JJ Barea, Jason Terry, Peja Stojacovic and Brendan Haywood. The Heat bench has been good too, but different players have seen their stock rise and fall depending on the matchups within the series. The Mavs' bench has the confidence and consistency to provide an offensive lift to support the starters. The Mavs roster is also filled with players who can score given the chance like Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion. The Heat's offensive attack centres around James and Wade, and to a lesser extent Chris Bosh, and if one of the "Big 3" is struggling, there is not alot of depth behind them to pick up the slack. Bosh will be an important factor if he rebounds well and defends Dirk with consistent effort.
     During the regular season the Mavs won both of the meetings between the two clubs, but both teams at the end of the playoff grind have grown-up from their regular season selves and that regular season record should have little bearing on the matchup with a Finals-level intensity. The Heat, especially D-Wade, know what is like to be under pressure and thrive. When a young Wade met Dirk and the Mavs in the Finals five years ago they went down 2-0 in the series and came back to win 4 straight games. Only Dirk and Terry, and Wade and Haslem remain from those Finals teams.
     When Oklahoma got out on the break and turned defense into offense, Dirk's transition defense was exposed as poor. The Thunder were young and inexperienced and failed  to close out games. The Heat are more athletic, have better defense, Wade and James run the break beautifully, and the Heat can close out a game. It's funny that the primary question of "Who's guarding who" centre around Dirk rather than the penultimate question "Who's going to guard LeBron?" Shawn Marion did a good job against Durant and he should get the same opportunity against James.
     It will be fun to watch if the Mavs take the Heat deep into the series, to see LeBron and Wade panic and blame their teammates (which they would). It's fun to hate the Heat, and they would end the criticism if they can put a ring on it. I kind of want them to win, just so everybody can shut up about LeBron not winning any championships. I kind of don't want them to win, because it indicates that great players are better than great teams. A team that comes together, gains mutual experience and understanding of each other and triumphs is the classic American success story, not the realigning of superstar talents, greedy players and individual identities. I don't really like either team, the Mavs for historic and personal reasons, and the Heat because, really, who does? I'm going to have to pick the Heat in 7 games, mercy on my soul.

New NBA Logo - The Dirk Goose-Step

Should the Mavericks win, the finals MVP will be Dirk Nowitzki. His playoff run thus far has been nothing short of legendary, and this is as objective as it gets for me. You see, I never liked Dirk. It's easy to hate Mark Cuban and Texas for being themselves and I did, but Dirk was another beast entirely. When the Mavs chose Dirk and parted ways with Steve Nash, I hated Dirk. I called him Dirty Dirk, and many other fun jaunts. When a young Dwyane Wade met Dirk in the finals in 06 with a still-serviceable Shaq, I was a big Wade fan and cheered my guts out for Dirk to lose. He was easy to hate as a choker as well. I was as excited as anybody when Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes led the 8th-seeded Warriors over the first-seeded Mavericks. And lest we forget the first round Easter "resurrection" game of Brandon Roy when the Blazers miracled their way to an emotional 23-point comeback in This 2011 post-season Dirk has proved the haters wrong. And I am one of them. It doesn't change the fact that he averages too few rebounds for a 7-footer, his transition defense is suspect, and his face is a turn-off. I can respect him in the context of NBA greatness and achievement, but it doesn't mean I like him. Good luck in the finals,

Conference Finals Reflections

Now that each team has won a game, nobody is clamoring for any team as the current "favourite." We've all seen all four of the remaining teams, Chicago, Miami, Dallas and Oklahoma City, play to their strengths and conversely be exposed for their weaknesses. With the uncertainty swirling about the status of the four teams who may have the chance to play in the finals, I will take this chance to reflect on what each team did well, and did poorly in their first two games of the series.

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Dallas Mavericks
Game 1 -  

In Dallas, the Mavs prove what people have been saying all along. They are the team with experience, a diverse bench loaded with savvy veterans, who can control the tempo and control the game. Dallas set the pace in this game, and seemed tightly efficient. They took the right shots at the right times and moved the ball well. Dirk Nowitzki was out-of-this-world shooting 12-15 from the floor (80%) and 24-24 from the free-throw line (100%, in case you were wondering) on his way to 48 points. Dallas (including JJ Barea) carried the momentum of the Lakers sweep into this game regardless of their extended break between series. The Thunder's collective youth and nerve led to poor shot selection, especially from All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook who went 3-15 from the field. The Thunder showed sparks especially when Kevin Durant got out on the fast break, and Nowitzki's poor transition defence led to easy OKC buckets a couple times. As unstoppable as Dirk was on the offensive end, he only pulled down 6 rebounds. The only reason I'm nit-picking on him is because the Thunder managed to keep this game close, and Durant had 40 points including 18-19 from the free-throw line. Perkins provided a physical presence, and intimidation as he drew a double-technical after getting tangled up with Tyson Chandler. Perkins also landed an elbow on Shawn Marion and broke his nose. Matrix fought through the bleeding to continue to guard Kevin Durant admirably. The Thunder proved that even with a superhuman effort from certain Mavs players, they were a competitive team that would not back down. Questions surround the Thunder.

Game 2 - 
Back in Dallas for the second game of the Western Conference finals, the Thunder needed to make a statement. Down by nine points in the first quarter, Durant rises up off the left-side clear out play and dunks the ball through the hoop over the top of Brendan Haywood. This turned the tide in OKCs favor, as did the insertion of James Harden. Oklahoma tightened up their defense in the second half and held off the Mavs, despite clutch efforts from Dirk (16 fourth quarter points) and JJ Barea. Harden finished with 23 points and seven rebounds, including a four-point play and a flurry of dribble-moves to juke past Jason Terry and pull up for the jump shot. A memorable image of James Harden's roar and tongue swing, followed by beard-penetrating smile after the second of these big buckets will stick in my mind as emblematic of the Thunder's emotional playing style and the ecstasy they can provoke while they maintain momentum. Dirk still outscores Durant 29 to 24, but the difference was the strength of the bench, which allowed Thunder coach Scott Brooks to keep a struggling Westbrook on the bench throughout the fourth quarter. Oklahoma has yet to lose back-to-back games this postseason and now look to transfer that momentum to game 3, back home in OKC. Questions surround the Mavs.

Bold Prediction
The Thunder can continue to put up energy, but the Mavs are build for the long haul. If Westbrook and Perkins continue to struggle, Kevin Durant will have more responsibilities than Dirk (who has already performed better in both games thus far) and KD will not be able to shoulder the load. The Mavs can take control of the series, and should be able to win at least one game on the road. Mavs advance in six games. Game 3 in OKC, Saturday @ 9pm EST.

Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls


Game 1 - 
Despite holding the best record in the NBA during the regular season with 62 wins and 20 losses, the reigning Coach of the Year Tom Thibodeau, and MVP Derrick Rose, the Bulls seemed to be coming into the Eastern Conference final as the underdog. The Bulls are back in the Eastern final for the first time since MJs farewell of 1998, and the city of Chicago was ready. Not that the Heat were going to be fazed by the raucous crowds, the Miami Heatles met hateful persecution almost universally this entire season when on the road. Miami held the emotional edge until Taj Gibson brought down a two-handed dunk in transition all over Chicago native Dwyane Wade. Noah and Boozer were holding down the paint, but Boozer seemed to have no finish around the rim as lay-ins and tips went everywhere but through the twine. The two big men were able to anchor a Chicago defense that clogged the lane and forced Miami's stars into a perimeter-oriented game. The Bulls dominated on the rebounds, gathering 45 to Miami's 33 rebounds that resulted in 31 second-chance points for the Bulls, compared to only 8 for the Heat. Both teams played tough, grinding defense and wherever a player found a chance to break through the defensive wall of the opposition, they made the most of it. The Bulls capped off the home victory with a fitting Taj Gibson putback that made more than one sportsfan jump out of his or her seat. Rose had 28 points, 7 assists, and Deng had 21 points. The Heat looked lost at times at distinguishing roles of their "Big 3," while the Bulls looked like a solid team that had been playing together for years. Wade had 18 points, while James had only 12, and Bosh surprisingly had 30 points and 9 rebounds. Questions surround Miami.

Game 2 - 
LeBron and Wade were both said to be silently seething after their criticism in the aftermath of game 1. They were ripped by the same people who had lauded the pair after their execution of the Celtics in the previous round. Game 1 was the highest rated basketball game in TV history, so the Heat skeptics were all out to hate. "Meh," said LeBron who stepped up his game as the great ones do following a tough loss, and was able to adapt to the defenses he had seen in game one to finish with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists, while D-Wade had 24 points and Bosh had 10 points with 8 rebounds. The Heat bench stepped up and provided the energy and the hustle plays including 13 tempo-swinging Udonis Haslem points. Luol Deng threw down a huge dunk through the lane in the first quarter, and hit a three-point buzzer beater at the end of the first quarter, but finished with a quiet 13 points. Noah showed impressive end-to-end skillsbut at times the Bulls were sloppy and the Heat seized the advantage with transition basket after transition basket. The game was tied at 73, with 4:40 remaining when Wade and Omer Asik collide under the basket and both are cut requiring medical attention. This stoppage of play halted the Bulls momentum and allowed the Heat to recompose themselves and make a 12-2 run including 9 points by LeBron James to close out the Bulls in Chicago and even the series at one game apiece. Rose had 21 points and 8 assists, but shot 7-23 from the field. Questions surround Chicago.

Bold Prediction
The Heat don't have to all play well to win, as we have seen, but when the "Big Three" of Bosh, Bron and Wade are on the same page, the Heat are unguardable. Even for the defensively tenacious Bulls. The Bulls may have a tough time scoring if the Heat continue to frustrate Rose and the Bulls are unable to find a consistent second- option on offense. The Heat can also use their length and athleticism to run the fast break before the Bulls defense can set up. Heat advance in six games. Game 3 in Miami, Sunday 8:30pm EST.

All-time All-star teams by birth month

All-time All-star teams by birth month

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This is a reprisal of an article I wrote a while back, before I had a blog, where it lurked in obscurity on some other site thread. I had had some spare time and decided with the help of my NBA calendar which lists the birthday of notable NBA players each day to compile come all star teams divided by birth month... if all entered into a tournament with all players at their prime which month's team would win it all?

January
c - Hakeem Olajuwon
pf - Dominique Wilkins
sf - Vince Carter
sg - Alex English

pg - Dwyane Wade
6th - Gilbert Arenas
bench 1 - Darryl Dawkins
2 - Muggsy Bogues
3 - Andre Iguodala/ Glenn Robinson

February
c - Vlade Divac
pf - Charles Barkley
sf - Julius Erving
sg - Michael Jordan
pg - Steve Francis
6th - James Worthy
bench 1 - Alonzo Mourning
2 - Rip Hamilton
3 - Jameer Nelson

March
c - Shaquille O'Neal
pf - Chris Bosh
sf - Rick Barry
sg - Jason Kidd
pg - John Stockton
6th - Walt Frazier
bench 1 - Larry Johnson
2 - Chris Webber
3 - Elton Brand

April
c - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
pf - Tim Duncan
sf - George Gervin
sg - Baron Davis
pg - Isiah Thomas
6th - John Havlicek
bench 1 - Stephen Jackson
2 - Mark Jackson
3 - Theo Ratliff/ Brad Miller

May
c - Mehmet Okur
pf - Kevin Garnett
sf - Tracy McGrady
sg - Jerry West
pg - Chris Paul
6th - Carmelo Anthony
bench 1 - Shawn Marion
2 - Mike Bibby
3 - Rasho Nesterovic

June
c - George Mikan
pf - Dirk Nowitzki
sf - Joe Johnson
sg - Clyde Drexler
pg - Allen Iverson
6th - Antawn Jamison
bench 1 - Dikembe Mutombo
2 - Mitch Richmond
3 - Tom Chambers

July
c - Pau Gasol
pf - Karl Malone
sf - David Thompson
sg - Ray Allen
pg - Gary Payton
6th - Penny Hardaway
bench 1 - Chris Mullin
2 - Connie Hawkins
3 - Joe Smith

August
c - Wilt Chamberlain
pf - David Robinson
sf - Magic Johnson
sg - Kobe Bryant
pg - Bob Cousy
6th - Rashard Lewis
bench 1 - Patrick Ewing/ Robert Parish
2 - Reggie Miller
3 - John Starks

September
c - Nene
pf - Rasheed Wallace
sf - Elgin Baylor
sg - Scottie Pippen
pg - Tiny Archibald
6th - Jason Terry
bench 1 - Tim Hardaway
2 - Steve Kerr
3 - Emeka Okafor

October
c - Antonio Davis
pf - Dave DeBusschere
sf - Grant Hill
sg - Keith Van Horn
pg - Lenny Wilkins
6th - Louis Williams
bench 1 - Eddie Jones
2 - AC Green
3 - Jim Jackson

November
c - Lamar Odom
pf - Jamal Mashburn
sf - Earl Monroe
sg - Oscar Robertson
pg - Sam Cassell
6th - Ron Artest
bench 1 - Elvin Hayes
2 - Shawn Kemp
3 - Jerry Stackhouse

December
c - Charles Oakley
pf - Kevin McHale
sf - Bob Pettit
sg - Larry Bird
pg - LeBron James
6th - Bernard King
bench 1 - World B Free
2 - Shareef Abdur-Rahim
3 - Josh Smith

Defying Categorization: Bird and Magic

When Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entered the league in the 1979 entry draft, they brought the charisma and entertainment of the historic, most-watched, college finals game to the struggling professional league. Not only did their popularity rejuvenate the professional game from a media attention perspective, Larry and Magic rebuilt the historic franchises of the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, and changed the way the game itself was played.

The league was ruff and tumble back in the early eighties, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had to be warriors in many ways, battling through physical defenses and regular emotional altercations. Late in their careers, Larry fought through a misaligned back, while Magic contracted the HIV virus. As fierce competitors on and off the court, they defied stereotypes that were rampant in the league. The NBA was still seen as somewhat of a sideshow, marred by violence, and prejudice against what a predominantly white TV audience saw as aggressive blackness. Neither player wanted to be defined by the colour of their skin, and their sanctuary was on the court where they could compete man-to-man. In Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, John Turturro says, “Magic, Eddie, Prince, are not niggers. I mean they're not black…” and in Space Jam, Bill Murray says, “Larry’s not white, Larry’s clear.” Larry and Magic could not be defined by the urban dictionary of their time.

Their skills on the court developed in similar fashions. Despite appearing as physical opposites, their court-awareness and passing skills are virtually unrivaled by any other player, of any size, before or since. And when their teams needed them to play big, they hauled in rebounds. Magic’s legend includes him stepping into Kareem’s spot at centre and playing all five positions in the NBA finals, as a rookie. Bird revolutionized the game by incorporating the three-point line into his game, one of the first players to master the strategic use of the long-distance shot. This all-around game led to 138 career triple-doubles for Magic (second all-time), while Larry finished with 59 (fifth all-time), and were rewarded with a combined eight championships and six MVP awards. 

Positional play had become a norm in the 1970s NBA, where specific players were asked to perform specific roles such as ball-handler, shot-blocker, scorer, rebounder, etc. Attempts to assimilate athletic forwards from the ABA (absorbed three years prior to Bird and Magic’s time) clashed with crafty ball-handlers and dominating big men from the NBA. Players were compartmentalized. Larry and Magic defied categorization, and played a multitude of roles that formed the grounds for positional-defying talents such as Michael Jordan, Akeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, and their global appeal impacted players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Manu Ginobili.

Unlike soccer or hockey, which designate a goaltender with specific skills to develop, basketball players must play all positions and perform all tasks. Baseball’s transition between offense and defense is controlled and mediated by umpires, unlike the NBA’s fluid transformation of offensive to defensive mentalities. In football there is an offensive and defensive line, a quarterback and a kicker, further segregating duties, which are performed by the best all-around players and athletes in the NBA. Magic and Bird cemented this winning strategy of do-it-all forwards who rebound, pass, defend, score, and lead their team in every way possible eschewing individualism for team success. The legends of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are inseparable, and their games and stories revolutionized the modern NBA game.

Battle of the Benches

Okay,we all know the story with the Miami and Boston starters. League luminaries and legends Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo hold down the green team, while LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh heat up Miami. The series seems like a clash of stars and holds half of the Eastern Conference All-Star team on the court at any given moment, but the playoffs are a long grind. Players have off-games, injuries, or playoff stagefright. This is where the supporting cast comes in and flourishes. It will take a total team effort for either Miami or Boston to win the series so let's take a look at the supporting casts of the Celtics and the Heat.

Guards

Boston

Carlos Arroyo, Avery Bradley, Von Wafer, Delonte West

Miami

Mike Bibby, Mario Chalmers, Eddie House

Miami's guards have the experience, and regularily crack the rotation. Wafer, Bradley and former-Heat Arroyo have been pretty glued to the Boston bench. Delonte West provides energy and agitation for LeBron, but is unpredictable at best. Bibby has been solid and less corpse-like than I assumed he'd be, Chalmers shows potential and Eddie House is a firecracker when the team needs him.
Winner: Miami

Forwards

Boston

Glen Davis, Jeff Green, Troy Murphy, Sasha Pavlovic

Miami

Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, James Jones, Mike Miller

Boston's forwards are an odd collection. Glen Davis has proved to be solid in the past and has a surprisingly good jump-shot. Jeff Green has yet to rise to the occasion and his emergence could quell the Kendrick Perkins ghosts. T-Murph fought his way off New Jersey's bench and is solid when used, don't know why Boston doesn't find him some floor-time. Haslem is a Heat faithful and co-captain with Wade, Juwan Howard can still provide quality minutes and if either James Jones or Mike Miller finds their shooting stroke, they are deadly while Bron and Wade draw double-teams.
Winner: Miami


Centres

Boston

Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Nenad Krstic

Miami

Joel Anthony, Eric Dampier, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamaal Magloire, Dexter Pittman

The O'Neal boys are NBA legends and if Shaq can ever pick up a shadow of his former self the Celtics will be tough to beat. However, this being said, Shaq's only played 5 minutes in the past 35 games and even if he returns what kind of game-shape would he be in? JO has played well and Krstic is solid but undersized. The Heat's rotation of Joel Anthony, Ilgauskas, and Dampier have played their role well grabbing rebounds, clogging the lane, and not demanding the ball on offense. Unless Shaq returns strong, the Heat big men have he advantage over the Celtics' aging frontcourt.
Winner: Miami

Much has been made of the Celtics deep roster in the past, but Miami's star-chasing pick-ups have proved solid and have helped produce a game 1 win already. The Celtics are in deep down 0-1, but a dominant Rondo, a controlled and fueled Pierce and a resurging Shaq could put them on top. It's hard to doubt LeBron and Wade, and the tale of the benches indicates the Heat are more than a "three-trick" pony and have roster strength beyond expectations. Expect a close series, with the stronger team, rather than the team with the most star-power to prevail. This doesn't change my series preview pick, I'm not flip-flopping on the Celtics after one game and still expect them to win the series.

Celtics roster

Heat roster

-D.G.

Playoff Predictions 2011, Round 2

*Check out the top 10 plays of the first round

Eastern Conference
(1) Chicago Bulls - CHI wins in 6 games
(5) Atlanta Hawks
The main question surrounding this series is the health of Kirk Hinrich? Hinrich is no X-Factor, and started the season as a third-string point guard for the Wizards, so people coming out and saying his injury is going to hurt the Hawks' chances seems like people making excuses for why the Bulls are going to win this series. Nobody can guard Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich would have been eaten alive by the size, strength and speed of the league's would-be MVP. The Bulls frontcourt is strong and long with Noah and Boozer over the Hawks' Collins and Horford. Though the Hawks surprised a sloppy, uncoordinated Magic team in the first round, the Bulls are solid enough to avoid this upset.
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Breaking NEWS Coach of the Year Award to Bulls' Tom Thibodeau

(2) Miami Heat
(3) Boston Celtics - BOS wins in 7 games
Though I pine for a LeBron/Wade vs Kobe finals, I feel like the Heat are meeting their match in Boston. The Heat have home-court advantage making this series interesting, but the Celtics are playoff tested, unified under ubuntu, and flourish when the pressure is highest; something we have yet to see from the Heat. In close, late-game situations the Heat have struggled to find their clutch, most recently against the Sixers ending in a block by Elton Brand. Isolation plays for each of Miami's big three; Bosh, Bron and Wade cannot work against a cohesive, active Boston defense with Rondo as it's agitator. When Rondo played well, the Celtics won 3 of the 4 games against the Heat this year notching 17, 16, and 10 assists consecutively including a triple-double, but struggled in the last meeting of the year when the Heat won. LeBron and Wade want to exorcise their playoff demons against Beantown, but might not have the poise to win thi season. If Shaq is able to return, and provide quality minutes, there's nothing he'd like to do more than spoil his former teammates' run and win one more chip before the uncertainty of next season.
SLAMonline preview
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Western Conference
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder - OKC wins in 5 games
(8) Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies surprised the Spurs with their energetic play and tough defense in the first round and knocked off the number one seed for only the fourth time in NBA history. They won't be so lucky against the Thunder. The frontcourt of Gasol and Randolph was able to muscle a retiring Antonio McDyess and an overmatched Tim Duncan, but Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins are young, tenacious and hungry. The Thunder guards are quick and big. Russell Westbrook will be able to run circles around Mike Conley and has an unmatched level of athleticism in a 6-5 point-guard frame as long as he cuts down his number of turnovers. Tony Allen and Shane Battier are two of the most grizzled, defensive-minded, playoff savvy, underrated small forwards but will have their work cut out for them against 6-10 back-to-back NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant, who can legitimize his legend with tough play in this series coming off 41 points to eliminate the Nuggets in the first round. Thunder-Lakers next round could be the best series of the playoffs, should it happen (it better happen!)
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(2) Los Angeles Lakers - LA wins in 6 games
(3) Dallas Mavericks
The Lakers frontcourt always seems to be unquestioned as the "better bigs" no matter who the Lakers come up against, with their two 7+footers Bynum and Gasol and 6-10 6th man of the year Lamar Odom off the bench. The Lakers defense is anchored by their post players who force teams to shoot from outside and play a perimeter game where the defense of Artest and Kobe is virtually unrivaled. A friend asked me earlier this year "who was better in the height of their prime T-Mac or Kobe?" Come on, T-Mac could score, but Kobe has shown us points and more. A ten-time all-defensive player, and one of the most driven, clutch closers in NBA history, T-Mac and all other players pale in comparison to Kobe come playoff time. If a team can rattle Dirk early, and frustrate him, the Mavs will suffer. I'm excited to see if the Lakers will match Artest up with Dirk at all. Fisher and Kidd are veterans and will control the game, if unspectacularly. Dallas' collapse in game 4 of the first round, where Portland came back from a 23-point deficit is indicative of their mentality. The Lakers will lock it down, and roll into the final four.
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