It’s a matchup I could have only dreamed. My Dallas Mavericks are set to face the Miami Heat on Thursday. Not only is it Dallas’ first time to the big dance, and not only did we defeat San Antonio in the playoffs (oh, how sweet it is!), but I don’t have to watch Detroit play another game this season! It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve never been a Pistons fan. Ever.
I’ll take Shaq, Dwayne Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton and the worthless Antoine Walker any day, as long as I don’t have to see a single irritating Piston’s uniform. It’s not fear, it’s disgust. Dirk Nowitski, Jason Terry, Josh Howard, Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Keith Van Horn, Marquis Daniels, Darrell Armstrong, Adrian Griffin, Josh Powell, Erick Dampier, and DeSagana Diop make up the strongest team in the league. Don’t forget The General, Avery Johnson. Assuming good health for both teams, this should be an extremely entertaining championship series. No one can guard Dirk Nowitski. No one can stop Shaq.
They don’t have anyone to stop Jason Terry and Josh Howard at the same time. We don’t have a great answer for Dwayne Wade. The two teams have talent oozing out of their ears; not to mention passion and energy. I like the Mavericks’ chances in this series. Even though the village idiot, a.k.a. Charles Barkley, has also picked the Mavs to win, I won’t consider us jinxed. It will mostly boil down to how effective Dampier and Diop can manage to be against the most powerful man to ever play in the NBA. He’s a monster, no doubt about it. Shaq should count as two players. Two days to go, and I’m already biting my nails.
The excitement is overwhelming. I can’t keep thinking about it. It’s 12:30 and I’m still typing! That’s what going to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history will do to a person. Gotta go. Think blue, black and white. Go Mavs.