Sweet, Sweet, Redemption

What a tremendous NBA Finals that just concluded. Every single game was filled with drama, great storylines, great play, and in the end the good guys winning. Ultimately I was wrong about Dallas, I thought they would lose in the first round of the playoffs, and partially wrong about Miami. Although I predicted that Miami would not win the NBA title, I must admit, they played better than I thought they would. Ultimately though, Miami's main flaws were exposed, and Dallas was able to bring home their first ever NBA Championship. Here were the highlights:

• Dirk Nowitzki- The German Moses was the best player in the NBA playoffs, and despite a little adversity in the Finals, he threw the Mavs on his back and refused to let them lose. I absolutely love Dirk because of his tireless work ethic, humble nature, and absolute dizzying array of offensive moves. He played through a torn finger tendon, illness, a missed game winner, and through it all kept his composure and it paid off. He's now done something that Charles Barkley and Karl Malone never pulled off.
• The three J's- Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and J.J. Barrea. These three guards, all with there very pronounced weaknesses, played out of this world. Kidd pushed all the right buttons, and at his age he should absolutely be a defensive liability, but instead, he was a defensive strength. Jason Terry struggled early, but turned it on in games 4, 5, and 6, and in 5 and 6 he was arguably the Mavs best player. J.J. Barrea is a pace changer for the Mavs, and shot way better than anyone could have ever expected. He's an upcoming free agent, and I fully expect the Mavs to keep him.
• Rick Carlisle- He flies under the radar because of his quiet demeanor, but the dude is definitely one of the best coaches in the league. He pushed all the right buttons, pulled all the right strings, and managed his team perfectly. 
• All of the problems with the Miami Heat have been covered to death, and will continue to be covered to death between now and tip-off next season. I'm not going to beat that dead horse to hard, but here are a few observations.
• LeBron James- He definitely took his talents to South Beach, I'm just not sure his talents are everything they thought they were getting. He's the ultimate front runner, plain and simple. His physical talent and skill is undeniable, but if he ever wants to be as good as he thinks he is, he better get his mind right, and develop a low post game. The fact of the matter is, every proven superstar winner in the history of the NBA has a F.U. mode, and LeBron doesn't even have an I'm pissed mode. He lets the game come to him, he never dictates the action, and he sure as hell isn't going to take over a game. Most experts questioned how the Heat would determine who the Alpha Dog would be on the team, and with his performance in the NBA Finals, LeBron just placed the crown on D-Wade's head, and then bent over and kissed his ass. You keep hearing with LeBron, "if, if, if, if he does this, if he does that". He's been in the league eight years, he's been in the Finals twice, and he's now playing with the most talented team in the NBA. If isn't happening people, LeBron is what he is, a supremely talented player, and a mental midget.
• I've heard some experts claim that the Heat need to trade Chris Bosh, but really, what will that accomplish? Did Chris Bosh not give the Heat exactly what was needed out of him? He's their THIRD best player for chrissakes, isn't he the third best player in the NBA? I mean what would they possibly get in return that would be worth the value?
• The Heat can win a NBA title, there is no doubt about that, but how are they going to get any better? They can add pieces, but the right pieces are extremely hard to find, especially to mesh with the big three. Ultimately, they are going to have to improve internally, and honestly I don't know if that can happen. One thing is for sure, they are going to get their asses kicked in the media every single day, and their every move will be scrutinized. Mentally, I don't know if they can accept that challenge, time will tell.