San Antonio Spurs

At the start of the NBA season, the two teams expected to clash in the 2006 Finals were the defending champions San Antonio Spurs and the 2004 champions Detroit Pistons. All throughout, these two teams seem to be headed on a collision course until their hopes were derailed by the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.

If memory serves me right, this is the first time in more than two decades that there are two franchises marking their first trip to the NBA Finals. Today, the Heat and the Mavericks are going to battle for Game 1 in their quest for their first ever NBA title. Here is the breakdown of this exciting match-up:

Frontcourt Shaquille O’Neal will certainly be slowed down by the big bodies of centers Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop but will still dominate in the paint. Heat power forward Udonis Haslem will have a hard time trying to contain All-Star Dirk Nowitzki who is close to impossible to stop with his array of moves. Miami’s rebounding will also suffer once Nowitzki decides to play the outside drawing Haslem out. In the small forward position, Antoine Walker and Josh Howard will just cancel each other out on offense but Howard will contribute more with his defense and rebounding. Advantage: Dallas

Backcourt Dallas guard Devin Harris will have first dibs on Dwayne Wade who is averaging a terrific 26 points and 6 assists in the playoffs. However, I see Coach Avery Johnson switching Howard on Wade for better coverage especially in the latter quarters. At the point guard spot, Heat guard Jason Williams will be unable to stop Jason Terry who has emerged as the Mavericks’ second-leading scorer. Look for Pat Riley to bring in Gary Payton early if Williams cannot rein in Terry. Advantage: Even

Bench The Mavericks are the deepest team in the league. They wore down the Spurs and the Suns by using their flexibility and athleticism creating numerous mismatches. A prime example is how the Mavericks forced the Spurs to play with a smaller line-up resulting in more rebounds and inside points. The Mavs have the likes of Jerry Stackhouse, Marquis Daniels, Erick Dampier and Keith Van Horn on the bench. The Heat also have a good supporting cast (Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton and James Posey) but they simply cannot match Dallas one for one. Advantage: Dallas

Experience During championship situations, experience is a very important quality. Games are sometimes decided by just a few plays. The Heat will be banking on Shaq who has already three rings and the only one among three players in this series with Finals experience (the other one being Payton and Van Horn). The playoff experience of Walker and Mourning should come in handy during crunch time. Advantage: Heat

Coaching Pat Riley has four championship rings under his belt in 8 Finals appearances while Avery Johnson is a newbie coach with championship experience (as a player of the San Antonio Spurs). However, Riley cannot take Johnson, who won Coach of the Year honors in his first year lightly. Johnson also has an impressive record (76-24) and is the architect of Dallas’ amazing post-season breakthrough. Advantage: Even

With Dallas’ home court advantage and tremendous bench depth, I see the Mavericks closing this series in 7. For the Heat to win, Shaq must stay out of foul trouble and dominate the paint at both ends of the floor. The Heat also need to make Nowitzki work on the defensive end and play him close to get him out of his rhythm.