So the next championship of the National Basketball Association has ended. What did he bring to the fans? First of all, the magnificent intensity of the struggle. The tense final series was won by those who deserved it more. The team of Pat Riley, Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O`Neill won the “Dallas Mavericks” led by the future star of the coaching workshop Avery Johnson. In addition, last year’s finalists San Antonio and Detroit took off in the early rounds of the elimination series.
Final series as an indicator of completion
“Miami” and “Dallas” did not reach the final before this championship, but were worthy to get there more than once. If the “Hit” required a radical restructuring of the roster, then “Dallas” needed a new coach, who forced the team to play in a new way. As a result, both clubs showed excellent basketball in the regular season and reached the playoffs, where they played even harder.
But still more about the finale. For the first time since 1977, the team was able to recoup in the main series of the season, having lost two matches in a row at the start. However, now there are rumors among experts that in the third and fifth games there were whistles directed against the guests, who were Dallas basketball players. But there were no protests from the participants of the finals, which means that the judging work was evaluated by them perfectly.
The final series gave a real basketball festival, however, it mainly concerned the games in Miami, where Dwayne Wade ruled. He became the most valuable player in this confrontation, gaining an average of 40.3 points in home games. In general, the performance of Wade in the main series of the season is amazing. A young guy who plays in the NBA for the third season only leads a team where recognized masters practice and have earned a reputation for many successful seasons in the league.
It is possible that this hodgepodge, which plays in the “Miami”, will soon scatter. Mourning and Payton will finish their careers, Walker, O`Neill and Williams finish the last seasons. In the club, only Wade will remain the main star. In this regard, it will be very interesting how Miami will be rebuilt, because Duane, in fact, will receive complete freedom of action, but will also feel himself in the shoes of Michael Jordan.
The Dallas era is coming
Avery Johnson succeeded Mavericks Don Nelson as head coach. And replaced during the season. Nelson was dismissed with a strange diagnosis - for health reasons. However, Johnson, who at the beginning of that season signed a contract with Dallas as a playing coach, did not spoil the mass. Unless Michael Finley left at the end of the championship, which made the Dallas almost an outsider of the division in pre-season hands.
However, Johnson did not notice the loss of Finley, and in the semi-finals of the conference he abused all forecasters, defeating the current Finley club, San Antonio Spurs. The fact is that Avery received an unlimited credit of trust from the owner of the team, Mark Kuban, and began his work in the summer. The most important thing that Johnson brought to the Mavericks game is mobile and tough defense. It was this defense, including in the third quarter, literally strangled rivals.
In the attack, Johnson professed the same style that brought success to his former mentor Greg Popovich, that is, the game was almost without improvisation. Combinations and again combinations. So, two years and two different Dallas. For this restructuring of the team, Johnson received the title of best coach of the year this season.
Even when he was a player, Johnson received a nickname, which in Russian sounds like a "little general." As you can see, the authority of this general is enormous, and if the “Dallas” does not fall apart in the offseason, then, quite possibly, a new dynasty team is waiting for us, because the players who now defend the colors of the “Mavericks” are not as old as in “Miami” . In addition, after losing in the final, the team is motivated to the limit.
It remains only to wait for how things will turn out in the next season.
Detroit and San Antonio
These teams took off in the second and third rounds of the playoffs, although they were considered almost the main favorites for reaching the final of the championship this season. Moreover, many experts said that the San Antonio dynasty was brewing. The purchase of Michael Finley made it possible to say that the Spurs will reach the final without any problems. However, the “Spurs” came across a very organized defense, which turned out to be much better than the defense of “San Antonio”.
Now these clubs are likely to become the most important rivals for the next few seasons. This once again added intrigue to the upcoming campaign for the main NBA prize. Recall that last season, “Detroit”, knocked out “Miami”, made a serious opponent, who evened out with “Pistons” in the final of the conference.
However, it is “Detroit” and “San Antonio” will be the most motivated teams in the upcoming championship. In this trinity, you can include the “Phoenix”, which shows the most spectacular basketball for the past two championships. Amare Studmayer returns to the team after an injury, and Phoenix becomes one of the main contenders, at least for participation in the final of the conference.
These are just the contours of the upcoming championship, which began with the final siren of the fourth quarter of the sixth match of the final series between Miami and Dallas.
Dmitry Donskoy