Any basketball coach would appreciate the recent victory by the Dallas Mavericks in the Association Finals — unless they were a member of the Miami Heat coaching staff. A coach would not mind if the Super-Friends trio of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade won a title after overcoming some adversity that required them to improve themselves but nobody wants to see three players claim a crown without earning it, due to self-entitlement that has developed over years of acting like a person of significance without actually achieving any significant deeds.
So it was a pleasant sight to watch a team of veterans like Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and Tyson Chandler work together to win the championship. Dallas was a team that was greater than the sum of its parts and Miami’s roster was more impressive than their actual performance. As Dan Gilbert tweeted Sunday night in a post more eloquent than his post-Decision letter to Cleveland fans, “There are no shortcuts.”
After years of trying, the Mavericks finally reached their goal. Trading for more and more offence was futile but adding rebounding (Chandler), heart (Barea) and poise (Kidd) paid off. A coach (Carlisle) who had been a part of another team that shared the ball (the 1986 Boston Celtics) was able to create a similar ethic in Dallas.
They shared the ball: while Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry could penetrate into the paint and score, they did not hesitate to move the ball to an open player when doubled. Luckily, especially in the Los Angeles and Miami series, role players made those three point shots. But it was never a matter of taking the first open three point shot. Especially against Miami, the Mavs were willing to make the extra pass against an aggressive defence, to convert a half-second advantage into a full one.
They played team defence: most of the time, Dallas was willing to help and clog the paint. They forced Miami to take many jumpshots; some of the open looks went in (like Chris Bosh’s game winner in game 3) but the Mavericks played the percentages and came out ahead. They trusted each other – playing zone when they had to – and created turnovers by forcing the Heat to drive baseline, cutting them off and shifting into the passing lanes. They took charges because they were in the correct position (Chandler and Barea used exemplary technique to draw a charge from LeBron James).
They crashed the board (mostly): Ian Mahinmi and Tyson Chandler tipped balls to keep possessions alive or made putbacks to turn misses into points. Sometimes a player such as Nowitzki or Terry left before the rebound had been completely secured or missed a weak-side rebounding assignment but during crunch time, when Miami put up a jumpshot, there usually were four Mavs in the paint to make it a one-and-done possession.
They handled pressure: not only did Dallas cope with Miami’s pressure defence by moving the ball skillfully, they generated their own pressure. At several points, Heat players were left with no options except to leap into a crowd and pray for a call or attempt a desperation pass. Even the usually calm Dwyane Wade felt the pressure, mishandling an inbounds pass in Game 4 and dribbling the ball off his foot in game 6. The Mavericks made a handful of double-digit fourth quarter comebacks by feeding off their defence, converting a turnover into a transition score or an open shot.
Miami’s trio is not without hope but they have work to do. James, Wade, and Bosh have not figured out the best method to share the ball and who should attempt which type of shot. The rest of the team is limited athletically; when James and Wade play tough defence, they are very intimidating but Dallas showed how the ball could be moved away from them to an open part of the floor.
Despite their quick first steps, they cannot whimsically waltz into the paint whenever they want. The Heat need go-to sets, like a screen and role to generate high-percentage looks instead of relying on hero shots. All three Super-Friends must be willing to seize the day and make a big shot, depending on how the defence plays them. It may have been a Superman/Batman & Robin relationship instead of a trio of equals but the team still needs all three to contribute. Batman never gave up simply because the Joker or J.J. Barea proved hard to beat the first time around.
Lastly, no matter what the sport or whoever comprises the squad, nobody who competes in competitive athletics can assume that they have done it in July, eleven months before the playoffs conclude. If Miami takes this loss in stride and makes positive changes, they will come closer to earning that elusive ring. Work should always be ongoing, complete self-actualization constantly just out of reach.