First credit must be given where it’s deserved! The Dallas Mavs were simply the best TEAM in this year’s NBA finals. Lead by finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have a tremendous bench, which in my opinion was the difference in the championship.

While I still am of the opinion that the Heat are a more talented team, the Mavs proved that the title cannot be won on talent alone. Jason Terry carried them in the first half when Dirk couldn’t find the hoop, sprinkle in JJ Barea and DeShawn Stevenson, Tyson Chandler’s tenacity on the glass, Jason Kidd’s basketball IQ, and great team chemistry, which gave Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks their first title.

The Mavericks success came on their ability to find their shooting touch. Hitting 50% from the field and 46% from the 3 point line is the same kind of shooting that sunk the Lakers in 4 straight, and it seemed like they found their rhythm in game 5 and it carried over to game 6 to clinch it.

Kidd, Terry, Nowitzki and Marion slayed their demons in the finals, all 10 plus year veterans who have all experienced playoff and finals disappointment, can now call themselves champions.

The Miami Heat put the heat on themselves from the beginning of the season. With Bosh, Wade and James, making a proclaimed championship or fail mandate, the pressure was too much to overcome. Where do they go from here? For all of the talent they have, 3 great players do not a team make. They will have to get a true point guard and a big man who can intimidate and rebound in the middle, as well as additional depth across the board. They will surely be active in the free agent market if they are to get back to the finals. They simply didn’t have enough fire power to close. The emotional and physical toll was just too much for 3 players to bear.

LeBron became the NBA villain, wrongly I would say, why because of the manner in which he decided to depart Cleveland? Again his finals performance was less than stellar, one has to ask why? I have some opinions of my own. LeBron is a drive player, credit the Mavs for taking away his ability to drive, as well as intentionally fouling him on break aways. The next thing is, he will need to develop a mid-range and pull up jump shot. The Mavs just evaluated the strength of LeBron and made a team effort to take it away. One on one has never worked against a team and the Mavs help defense was as outstanding as their offense

In the end, the same growing pains that plagued the Heat all year long reared its ugly head in these finals. One thing is for sure, you may be able to hide your inefficiencies and weaknesses during the regular season and maybe even the early rounds of the playoffs, but once the finals begin, head coaches really make a name for themselves by finding ways to exploit your those weaknesses to beat you. And your weaknesses will manifest themselves in pressure situations.

Rick Carlisle and staff made great adjustments, line-up changes and decisions. A coach with a complete team and he knew exactly what to do and how to get it done at the right times. Erik Spoelstra at times seemed to have no answer or remedy for the adjustments made by the Mavs coaching staff. Even when the Heat offense seemed out of rhythm and he rarely came out of a timeout with a clear cut adjustment or play. I’ve said all year, the Heat have had to overcome the best of every team in the league (opponents), as well as I believe coaching inefficiencies.

As the Mavs celebrate, the Heat are left to ponder what could’ve been and what will be necessary for the outcome to be different the next time they are on the finals stage.

- Seth Joyner

Last week was a crazy week for College football. First the BCS strips USC of its championship and now the drama with Terrell Pryor and Ohio State.

I’m still trying to understand how cash payments off the field gave Reggie Bush such an unfair advantage that it warranted the BCS stripping the entire Trojan team of the reward of years of hard work. Secondly why does Pete Carroll get to ride off into the NFL sunset and double his salary without any repercussion? Everyone pays but Pete, Reggie Bush is vilified, former players lose their championship and the current players suffer because of NCAA infractions.

Everyone’s vilifying Reggie, but what young kid in college, and broke wouldn’t do what he did. If people think that it doesn’t happen at every major college they’re smoking something. Recruiting is way too competitive not too, most schools and alumni are smart about it.

Terrell Pryor same situation, you have a student athlete that comes from humble beginnings and he has the opportunity to put some cash in his pocket, drive nice cars at no expense and you expect him to not except it? Because these two guys were the most high profile guys on their team, and played for national powerhouses they became the focal points.

Neither Reggie nor Terrell are or were the only players receiving money. If the NCAA could dig far enough into both of these programs and most of the programs of the national powerhouses they would all wind up like SMU.

I have a level of respect for Jim Tressel because he did all he could to protect his players, could he have headed this off at the pass, probably, but once the damage was done, how many people would’ve blew the whistle on themselves? All he could manage was damage control hoping the cat wouldn’t get all the way out of the bag.

The NCAA and BCS are the hypocrites here. It’s OK for you guys to make a mint off of these players without compensating them anything. Even at UTEP when I was there, some players had a sugar daddy and we could beat a drum with a drumstick. People will say, well we’re providing them 3 squares, living quarters and a free education, fair enough, but what about the bare necessities of life. What if a young student athlete wants to take a young lady or gentleman out on a date, where are they to get money, as a scholarship athlete you cannot work except for summer months. Are these kids to survive the entire semester without cash? A monthly or semester stipend would go a long way to curb some of these issues and justify penalties for wrong doing.

Money drives our society, college football is big business, and even the Federal Government is looking into the BCS. These institutions wouldn’t exist if big money wasn’t achievable. Why not share the wealth with these kids who make the game what it is. I’m not talking about a lot of money, but enough to allow them to function. How are the alum and perpetrators penalized as well? The kids shouldn’t be the only ones punished, and what about the kids who do nothing wrong?

This issue will never go away, with wealthy alumni desiring bragging rights, Head Coaches needing to win to secure their multi-million dollar salaries, and the Universities, NCAA and BCS driving this big cash printing press, the only person not feeling the love is the athlete. So when the potential for cash presents itself you can best believe they will take the money, like everyone else and to some extent, rightfully so.

- Seth Joyner

June 7, 2011 By Seth Joyner Comments (1)

I am perplexed, although have been extremely entertained with the NBA finals. It has been said that the finals are about runs and adjustments, yet I don’t see the better team making the proper adjustments after 3 games.

I give Dirk his props, throw in Kidd, Marion and Terry’s desire to win a title the fight has been entertaining, but talent wise the Heat should be up 3 games to none and drooling at the prospect of winning one more to send the Mav’s fishing.

The Heat jump out to these double digit leads then fall asleep at the wheel and let the Mavs make it a game down the wire. Whatever they do in the first half to limit Dirk should be done in the second half. I’m sorry I know Haslem may not have the endurance to play the whole game considering how little he’s played this season, but considering what’s on the line, if Dirk is in the game he has to be in.

With Haywood out they can make rebounding a huge advantage, Tyson Chandler is very aggressive blocking shots and rebounding. The Heat need to take advantage of this aggression. Dirk uses the pump fake to live at the line, why haven’t the Heat learned from that, pump fakes in the paint to get Chandler into foul trouble, and the second chance points for the Mav’s disappear.

In Chris Bosh they have a consistent 18 pt, 10 rebound guy, but as the series progress the Mav’s are going to put more pressure on him in crucial situations to make a play. He came through last night, but does he have the confidence to come up big in game 4?

I think the minutes Wade and James have to play in the first half takes a toll on their ability to close, they seem to have no energy left to go to the rack in the 4th quarter that they’ve had in the opening quarters. The Heat have gotten some bench help from one player each game, Chalmers in game 1, Bibby in game 2 and Chalmers again in game 3.

Someone else is going to have to make something happen, it’s clear that Wade and James will see the double team. Likewise the Mav’s have been a one man show, but Haslem has done a good job and I like LeBron on Terry to keep him under control. Marion has played great and has been a problem defensively for the Heat, who can they put on him with LeBron on Terry and Wade on Kidd?

They are by far more talented a team and still should wind up winning it all. Considering what they have, can you imagine the Heat with a big man to intimidate in the middle and a consistent 3 ball threat? The Heat would shut up all the naysayers and haters and strike fear in the rest of the NBA for the next few years.

Erik Spoelstra needs to come up with a better plan for the Heat to sustain a lead, but most people feel as though the big three have overcome coaching all season, they are 2 games away from winning it all, the question is can they hold up and make it to the finish line?

- Seth Joyner