The Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat faced each other in the 2011 NBA Finals. This matchup was an interesting matchup for many reasons. For one, these two teams faced each other in the NBA Finals five years ago. The Miami Heat ended up defeating the Dallas Mavericks in six games that year in what was considered a very controversial series due to poor officiating. Dwyane Wade was the hero of the series, averaging almost 35 points per game. The Heat had more talent that year, and their talent overcame the Mavericks who were carried almost solely by their MVP, Dirk Nowitzki.
This most recent NBA Finals matchup seemed like it was going to play out the same way. The Miami Heat had just recently acquired LaBron James from the Cavaliers and Chris Bosh from the Raptors. With Wade, James and Bosh, also known as "The Big 3", the Miami Heat had the most talent on the basketball court no matter which team they played, and they were considered practically unbeatable in a playoff series. In the 2011 NBA Playoffs, all of this seemed spot on accurate until the Miami Heat faced the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, where teamwork triumphed talent.
Just before the NBA Finals began, fans and oddsmakers both had the Heat as large favorites over the Mavericks. The Heat were young, quick and extremely talented, while the Mavericks were comprised of much older and slower veteran players. Along with the Mavericks' age, however, came much basketball wisdom. They knew how to account with their weaknesses by passing the ball around the court faster, creating open looks at the basket. They also all played a part in the scoring department, unlike the Heat. While Dirk Nowitzki undoubtedly was the Mavericks' main scorer, there were six other Mavericks players who scored over 40 points throughout the series. Outside of "The Big 3", the Heat only had one player who scored over 40 points in the series, Mario Chalmers.
The Mavericks team defense was also much better than the Heat's. They were great at shifting from defending one player to another, switching from man to zone defense when necessary, and in rotating off of picks. The Heat, while they did play good defense, relied on their talent moreso than basketball fundamentals. So while they were able to recover at times because of their athleticism and talent, this would cause them to play less structured defense, allowing the Mavericks to get a lot more open shots.
In the end, the NBA fans were able to witness what the game of basketball was orignally all about: teamwork. True teamwork finally overcame raw talent, and it was a beautiful thing to watch. Fundamentals and intelligence overcame youth, speed, and agility. The Dallas Mavericks were written off by most before the series even started, and after their victory people are now understanding that teamwork should once again be a big focus when creating a successful gameplan.
Eric Bates is the president of eXtreme Teamwear, a company that sells sportswear products such as Team Windbreakers and Warm Up Suits. eXtreme Teamwear is located in Dallas, Texas, which is the home of the Dallas Mavericks.
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