NBA Finals matchups

Express-News NBA writer Mike Monroe profiles the key players and matchups in the NBA Finals between the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks and the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat:

POINT GUARD

Mavericks: (9) Jason Kidd 6-4, 17th yr — He negated Russell Westbrook’s athleticism with guile and experience, but Bibby has been around nearly as long as he has. … His assists have increased in each series, to a high of 8.6 in Western finals.

Heat: (0) Mike Bibby 6-2, 13th yr — Bibby hasn’t scored much in the playoffs (3.6 PPG), but his scoring has increased, series to series to series. … He remains the worst defender among the 10 Finals starters.

Edge: Mavericks

SHOOTING GUARD

Mavericks: (92) D. Stevenson 6-5, 11th yr — A starter in name only, and only because he’s a disciplined, physical defender. So he’s well-suited to get first crack at putting clamps on Wade. … Rarely on floor in crunch time.

Heat: (3) Dwyane Wade 6-4, 8th yr — After dominant Eastern semis vs. Celtics (30.2 ppg, 52.6 percent shooting), output dropped vs. Bulls in Eastern finals (18.8, 40.5) and there are concerns about a sore left shoulder.

Edge: Heat

SMALL FORWARD

Mavericks: (0) Shawn Marion 6-7, 12th yr — Defensive work on Kevin Durant in Western finals enhanced his value and made him defensive key in these Finals. … He’ll harass James but has to stay out of foul trouble. … Quick rebounder.

Heat: (6) LeBron James 6-8, 8th yr — No question he has become crunch option No. 1. … His legacy at stake, he prepared for pressure of Finals with clutch performances in Eastern finals. … Expect him to help a lot on Nowitzki.

Edge: Heat

POWER FORWARD

Mavericks: (41) Dirk Nowitzki 7-0, 13th yr — Leading scorer in first three rounds of playoffs (28.2 PPG) and coming off 32.2 PPG in Western finals. … Hitting 51.6 from 3-point range. … Best foul shooter in the series and gets to line in crunch time.

Heat: (1) Chris Bosh 6-11, 8th yr — After breakout in Eastern finals, when he averaged 23.2 points, there should be no more references to Heat’s “Big 2 1/2.” … Will energy required to defend Nowitzki affect his offense?

Edge: Mavericks

CENTER

Mavericks: (6) Tyson Chandler 7-0, 10th yr — Offensive rebounding and defense at the rim make him a key player in series. … Goal No. 1: Stay out of foul trouble so he can stay on the floor. … Always looking to cut to rim for lobs that become dunks.

Heat: (50) Joel Anthony 6-9, 4th yr — Production and playing time dipped in Eastern finals because of Udonis Haslem’s return. … Must keep Chandler off the offensive glass. … Outstanding interior defender.

Edge: Mavericks

BENCH

Mavericks: Jason Terry is second option in crunch time, behind Nowitzki, keeping defenders from doubling on Dirk. … Peja Stojakovic is a long-range threat. … J.J. Barea is effective as a change-of-pace point guard.

Heat: Can’t overstate importance of Udonis Haslem’s return. He can body up on Nowitzki, as he did in 2006 Finals, when Nowitzki made only 39 percent. … Finally healthy, Mike Miller is their X-factor, capable of changing a game.

Edge: Mavericks

COACH

Mavericks: Rick Carlisle 3rd yr — Was Tom Thibodeau really the best defensive coach in the league this season, or was it Carlisle, who somehow turned a team that has Nowitzki, Stojakovic and Barea into one of the best?

Heat: Erik Spoelstra 3rd yr — Does anyone remember when his job was on the line back in November? … His message during Eastern finals was consistent and to the point: Defend, play hard and play smart.

Edge: Mavericks

PREDICTION

Mavericks in 6

Eastern finals matchups, keys to victory

Express-News NBA writer Mike Monroe profiles the key players and matchups in the Eastern Conference finals between the top-seeded Bulls and No. 2 seed Heat, who lost all three meetings to Chicago this season by a combined eight points.

POINT GUARD

Heat: (0) Mike Bibby 6-2, 13th yr – The worst defender among all starters left in playoffs, and he’s about to face the MVP … He’d better shoot better from long range (23.5 percent) than he did in first two rounds.

Bulls: (1) Derrick Rose 6-3, 4th yr – Playoffs production (28.8 ppg, 8.2 apg) better than the regular season (25.0, 7.7) that earned MVP Award … Shooting, however, is down (44.5/33.2 on 3-pointers in season vs. 40.0/25.4 in playoffs).

Edge: Bulls

SHOOTING GUARD

Heat: (3) Dwyane Wade 6-4, 8th yr – He’s had some problems with migraines in playoff run, but he’s been a headache for opponents, averaging 26.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists … 3-point shooting has dropped in playoffs to 25.0.

Bulls: (6) Keith Bogans 6-5, 8th yr – He’s picking his spots to shoot playoff 3-pointers and has been so accurate (48.7 percent) that the Heat will have to game plan to limit his open opportunities. This fact alone makes him a factor.

Edge: Heat

SMALL FORWARD

Heat: (6) LeBron James 6-8,8th yr – His strong finish in close-out game against Celtics answered questions about his crunch-time edge. … After averaging 24.2 points in first round, scoring jumped to 28.0 in five games against Celtics.

Bulls: (9) Luol Deng 6-9, 7th yr – No Bulls player has logged more playoff court time than Deng, 43.2 minutes per game. … Solid playoff scorer (16.7 points) and rebounder (6.5), it’s his defensive excellence that keeps him out there.

Edge: Heat

POWER FORWARD

Heat: (1) Chris Bosh 6-11, 8th yr – After averaging 19.8 points in first round, he slipped to 12.8 against Celtics’ stiffer defense but was Heat’s top rebounder against Boston. … Solid pick-and-roll defender will be vital at defensive end.

Bulls: (5) Carlos Boozer 6-9, 9th yr – Bothered some by “turf toe” during conference semifinals. … Playoff scoring (11.8 points per game) way off from regular season (17.5), but rebounding virtually the same (9.5 per game).

Edge: Heat

CENTER

Heat: (50) Joel Anthony 6-9, 4th yr – A very athletic defender and quick to get on the boards, which is precisely what is needed against Noah. … Averaged 6.2 rebounds in conference semis against Boston, making himself a significant factor.

Bulls: (13) Joakim Noah 6-11, 4th yr – Bulls’ emotional leader also is their top rebounder (10.4 per game in regular season and playoffs) and an outstanding outlet passer. Always looking to lead Rose on the way to the basket.

Edge: Bulls

BENCH

Heat: G Mario Chalmers’ ability to defend Kyle Korver and Bogans, even Rose, makes him most important reserve … Bench bigs provide little, though Zydrunas Ilgauskas looms as an X-factor if Anthony still starts … James Jones is a 3-point threat.

Bulls: F Kyle Korver keeps foes from doubling Rose by demanding a defender at the arc. … Omer Asik’s toughness has made him a surprise factor … Ronnie Brewer’s defense and Taj Gibson’s rebounding make them X-factors.

Edge: Bulls

COACH

Heat: Erik Spoelstra 3rd yr – He’s already beaten Tom Thibodeau’s mentor, Doc Rivers, but this is a big series for a guy who is going to take a lot of heat (pardon the pun) if he can’t get the team and its talents into the NBA Finals.

Bulls: Tom Thibodeau 1st yr – The guy won the Coach of the Year award and has his team playing lock-down playoff defense. … His use of bench has been masterful, and he’s smart enough to know Rose is a great closer.

PREDICTION

Heat in six?

* * *

HEAT VS. BULLS KEYS TO VICTORY

M-V-P vs. M-V-We: This series should probably be sponsored by the True Value Hardware chain. Of the five remaining playoff teams, none relies more on one player than the Bulls, who lean heavily on MVP Derrick Rose to generate offense, especially in crunch time. Though two-time MVP LeBron James finished third in this year’s voting, many believe 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade has just as much impact.

Roll that pick: The Bulls rely heavily on pick-and-roll action, especially with Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. The Heat’s big men, Joel Anthony and Chris Bosh, are adept at defending the pick-and-roll, “showing” out to force the dribbler — usually Rose — farther from the basket than he wants. How this action plays out will go a long way towards determining the series winner.

Ex-Spurs, X-Factors: Spurs fans often averted their eyes when Keith Bogans launched 3-pointers during his days as a rotation player in 2009-10. Now he’s a starter for the Bulls and was a positive factor from long range in a few playoff games leading to this series. Then there’s Kurt “Big Sexy” Thomas. In what should be a defensive series, he has a chance to be a factor on the interior.

– Mike Monroe

Pop finishes third in NBA’s Coach of the Year balloting

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich finished third in final balloting for the NBA’s Coach of the Year honors.

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau, a Spurs assistant coach from 1992-94 under Jerry Tarkanian and John Lucas, was the  

Thibodeau collected 76 first-place votes among the media members who voted in the balloting. Doug Collins of Philadelphia was second. George Karl of Denver was fourth and Nate McMillan of Portland was fifth.

Popovich claimed the award in the 2003 season.

This past season was one of the best coaching jobs in Popovich’s career. The Spurs’  61 wins were the second-highest victory total under Popovich and the third best in franchise history. 

And in a weird way, the team’s playoff struggles might have underscored the kind of job that Popovich accomplished during the regular season.

Source: NBA.com