In terms of sheer entertainment value, a Dallas-Miami Finals should be pretty special. Three of the best players in the league -- all future Hall of Famers -- will be playing. And that doesn't even include Jason Kidd, who at 38 years old will become the oldest point guard ever to start in The Finals. It's safe to say David Stern is salivating.
But if you're looking for a rematch of 2006, you might as well stop now.
Miami, of course, is a totally different team. But so is Dallas. This year's Dallas squad is far more resilient than the 2006 team. Jason Terry and Dirk Nowitzki are the only holdovers and Dirk has gotten tougher and better, scoring at an all-time high efficiency and -- for the first time in his career -- consistently punishing smaller defenders. His inability to score against smaller defenders after all was a key component as to why the Mavs lost to the Heat in 2006 and why 8th-seeded Golden St. upset them during the 2007 playoffs.
Further, with Rick Carlisle, the Mavs have now have a coach tailored to their style. Avery Johnson's strategy of clear out for Dirk at all costs was effective but also predictable and stagnant.
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