While the Pistons remain favorites, it’s going to be hard to discount the MVP Steve Nash and his Phoenix Suns, who ran the Los Angeles Clippers right out of the building in game seven, or Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, who have been resting since eliminating the New Jersey Nets in five games. Who the Pistons should really worry about, however, are the Dallas Mavericks, who pulled out an all guts-and-glory win over the defending champion Spurs. The Mavericks come in the Western conference finals as heavy favorites over the Phoenix Suns and surely have had their confidence level skyrocket having eliminated rival and champion San Antonio. With these playoffs however, anything is possible.
Four teams left, and no one can really claim to have a clear path to the title. Here’s a look at how these four teams are shaping up in their quest for the title.
The Detroit Pistons steamrolled through the regular season and entered the playoffs as the favorite pick to win it all. After the series with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers however, the Pistons look a bit shaken. They were supposed to take care of LeBron and the Cavs in four, maybe five games. No one expected them to lose a game, let alone lose thrice and force a game seven. The Detroit swagger may have toned down a bit, but these guys have probably learned their lesson. Don’t get too cocky. Another chink in Detroit’s armor is head coach Flip Saunders, who has never accomplished anything in the playoffs. Remember, this is the guy who took seven years to get Kevin Garnett into the second round. Granted, this Detroit Pistons team is much better, but there are still questions about how he can coach in a playoff atmosphere. That’s also another reason they had to go seven games with a Cavalier team that never really stood a chance.
With the MVP on your team, it’s hard not to pick your team as a favorite to win the gold. The Suns however, look spent after having to play two game sevens in Los Angeles, first with Kobe and the Lakers and then Elton Brand and the Clippers. Yes, they handled both beautifully on their way to blowout wins, but those long, exhausting series have to take their toll physically and emotionally, especially on the aforementioned MVP, Steve Nash. Nash has been on tired legs and an aching back almost the entire Clippers series. It’s a big question mark whether his body can hold up all the way to the Finals, especially when you’re now facing two guards that gave the lightning quick backcourt of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili problems in Jason Terry and Devin Harris. For the Suns to have any chance against the Mavs, they need Nash to play like he’s on fresh legs.
Miami’s 2005 team could’ve won the title, but that team is gone now. Enter the new Miami Heat, featuring Gary Payton, Jason Williams and Antoine Walker. I’m going to go out on a limb and say these guys are going to cause more heartbreak than help. So they played well in the New Jersey series, but that was New Jersey and its nonexistent bench. Now they’re up against the Detroit Pistons who are out to prove that they’re still the Beast of the East despite that little setback in Cleveland. Dwyane Wade is good enough to draw extra attention from the Pistons defense. That means Miami will depend on the shooting of Payton, Williams and Walker to free up Wade and Shaq. If they can deliver, maybe Miami can pull an upset.
The Mavericks have just taken a big monkey of their back. For years people have said they weren’t tough enough, they weren’t experienced enough, that they didn’t have the heart to beat San Antonio. Now they have. They are out to disprove all the critics that said that the championship does not have a home in Big D. They have the depth (Jerry Stackhouse, Keith Van Horn), the size (Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop), the speed (Jason Terry, Devin Harris) and the superstar (Dirk Nowiztki) to give Detroit a run for their money. They’re also carrying that tough, no-nonsense swagger that Avery Johnson has instilled. If they can contain Steve Nash and the Suns, which many people, including me, believe they will, the Mavericks have their first legitimate shot at winning the NBA title.