CAVS.SPACE

*Originally published on Suite101.com in 2011.  In the 1990s, the Dallas Mavericks were supposed to build the franchise around Jason Kidd.  Instead, the rebirth of the Dallas Mavericks revolved around Dirk Nowitzki. The Dallas Mavericks began franchise operations in 1980.  Despite a holdout and refusal to play for the team by first draft pick Kiki Vandeweghe, the Dallas Mavericks had a good run in their initial years.  The team built up a strong core with draft picks other than Vandeweghe, obtaining Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, Sam Perkins, Derek Harper, Roy Tarpley, and Detlef Schrempf.  After 3 years of sub-.500 records, former NBA Coach of the Year Dick Motta, as well as coaches John MacLeod and Richie Adubato, helped lead the Mavericks to six playoff appearances in seven years during the 1980s.  This included an appearance in the 1988 NBA Western Conference Finals.  However, the team then fell to NBA Draft Lottery status with consecutive losing seasons in the 1990s. 

The Chicago Bulls were unable to pull out a close Game 4 versus the Miami Heat, falling in overtime, 101-93. Now, the Bulls are one game away from elimination while the Heat are one win away from returning to the NBA Finals. The Bulls had finished with the best record in the NBA for the 2010-2011 season at a mark of 62-20. Furthermore, they had the league's 2nd highest ranked defense based on PPG allowed (91.3) while scoring 98.6 PPG (20th in the league). However, they have met their match in the Heat, who had the 6th best defense based on PPG allowed (94.6) while scoring 102.1 PPG (8th in the league). Aside from a 103-point outburst and 21-point victory in Game 1, the Bulls have not been able to keep pace with the Heat, who have increased scoring with each game (82, 85, 96, 101). The most the Bulls have been able to score in the last 3 games is 93 points, which happened only because Game 4 went into overtime. The Bulls have their hands full in turning the tide in the series, needi

The Oklahoma City Thunder were within 5 minutes of tying the 2011 NBA Western Conference Finals 2-2. However, they lost hold of a 15-point lead, allowing the Dallas Mavericks to force overtime. In overtime, the Mavericks took control of the game and won, 112-105, gaining a 3-1 advantage in the series. With the win, the Dallas Mavericks are one win away from returning to the NBA Finals. Down 3-1, the Oklahoma City Thunder must rally back and win 3 games in a row in order to advance to their first NBA Finals as a franchise in Oklahoma City. Their previous franchise NBA Finals appearances and lone NBA Championship were won while playing in Seattle as the Seattle Supersonics. The difficult endeavor begins with Game 5 tonight in Dallas. Here are some ways that the Oklahoma City Thunder can keep the series alive. 1) Contain Jason Kidd As the oldest player on the team's roster and one of the team's co-captains, point guard Jason Kidd has put together a strong series for the Mavericks.

Last night, the Miami Heat took control of Game 2 of the 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, winning 85-75. With each quarter, the Heat held the Bulls to fewer and fewer points, capped off by an abysmal 10 point fourth quarter for the Bulls. Here are some aspects of Game 2 where the Miami Heat asserted themselves in order to tie up the series. 1) The Heat Defense Shut Down the Bulls The Miami Heat held the Chicago Bulls to a horrid .341 shooting mark, including a 3-20 (.150) mark from the three-point line. The Bulls carried this frustration to the free throw line, making only 16 of 26 free throws (.616 mark). Amidst this, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer combined for only 16 points, while Derrick Rose shot 7-23 in earning 21 points and Luol Deng shot 5-15 in scoring 13 points. Overall, the Bulls had only 15 assists, compared to 23 assists in Game 1. 2) The Heat Starters Played with High Efficiency The Miami Heat starters each had positive +/- ratios, with the lowest rating being LeBron Ja

At halftime of Game 1 of the 2011 NBA Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks lead the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 55-48. This included a 16-3 Mavericks run to close out the first half. Throughout the first half, there appear to be a number of matchup problems for both teams. The Dallas defense in particular is playing a matchup zone that has completely flustered Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook. In the meantime, here are some possible lineup adjustments that both teams can make to neutralize opposing players. Mavericks threat #1: Dirk Nowitzki > Thunder counter: Thabo Sefolosha Mavericks threat #2: J.J. Barea > Thunder counter: Nate Robinson Mavericks threat #3: Jason Terry > Thunder counter: Russell Westbrook Thunder threat #1: Kevin Durant > Mavericks counter: Deshawn Stevenson Thunder threat #2: James Harden > Mavericks counter: Shawn Marion

The Cleveland Cavaliers made some strong moves at the trade deadline last season, including sending popular All-Star guard Mo Williams and high-flying swingman Jamario Moon to the Los Angeles Clippers for veteran All-Star guard Baron Davis and a first round draft pick. Although some were skeptical of this trade on the Cavaliers' end, Davis brought leadership and stability to the Cavs. Now, the first round draft pick that came with him from the Clippers is the #1 overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft! As was mentioned during last offseason, each successful era of Cleveland Cavaliers basketball has begun with the acquisition of the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. First, the Cavaliers selected Austin Carr in 1971. Next, the Cavs chose Brad Daugherty in 1986. Then, the Cavaliers drafted LeBron James in 2003. Now, Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams head up a short list of potential #1 picks for the Cavs in 2011. Furthermore, like the 1986 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers have a second lottery pic

Congratulations to the Oklahoma City Thunder on advancing to the 2011 NBA Western Conference Finals! Special props go out to Kevin Durant, who followed up his Game 6 struggle with an unforgettable Game 7 performance. In scoring 39 points, Durant overcame a defensive strategy revolving around stoppy him. Overall, Durant made all 9 of his free throws and also connected on 4 three-pointers. He, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Nick Collison highlighted a solid team effort and performance. Also, congratulations are in order for the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies upset the highly favored San Antonio Spurs in the first round and nearly became the first #8 seed in NBA Western Conference history to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Like the Thunder, the Grizzlies have a good mix of talent, youth, and experience that should make them contenders out of the West in the years ahead. Coach Lionel Hollins should be proud!

Predictions : 3/16; close on 2 others Season MVP - Kobe Bryant - incorrect - winner: Derrick Rose * Rookie of the Year - Blake Griffin - correct Most Improved Player - J.J. Hickson - incorrect - winner: Kevin Love Coach of the Year - Jerry Sloan - incorrect - winner: Tom Thibodeau NBA Championship - Lakers defeat Celtics, 4-2 - incorrect - winners: TBD NBA Finals MVP - Pau Gasol - incorrect - winner: TBD * Scoring Champion - Kevin Durant - correct Rebounding Champion - Luis Scola - incorrect (22nd RPG/28th Total Rebounds) - winner: Kevin Love > Assists Champion - Rajon Rondo - incorrect (2nd APG/3rd Total Assists) - winner: Steve Nash > Steals Champion - Rajon Rondo - incorrect (2nd SPG/4th Total Steals) - winner: Chris Paul Blocks Champion - Josh Smith - incorrect (15th BPG/t-14th Total Blocks) - winners: Andrew Bogut (BPG) and Serge Ibaka (Total Blocks) Defensive Player of the Year - Rajon Rondo - incorrect (5th) - winner: Dwight Howard All-Star Game MVP - LeBron J

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Miami Heat, 103-82, last night to take a 1-0 lead in the 2011 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. While the series is still young and the Heat can very well even up the series, here are some ways that the Bulls dictated the flow of Game 1. 1) Make Chris Bosh the #1 Option All season long, Chris Bosh has been criticized for his lack of quality play. An All-Star for his talent and performance in the past, Bosh shifted away from his strong low post play and primarily focused on midrange jumpshooting this season. While this has been a normal tactic of Pat Riley-influenced teams--think Charles Oakley, P.J. Brown, and Udonis Haslem--Bosh relinquished his ability to score on offensive rebounds. In doing so, Chris Bosh immediately became known as the third member of the South Beach Big Three. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls have been a top-ranked defense all season. This is largely in part because of the nonstop hustle of Joakim Noah and the defensive brilliance of Head

So far, so good--the 2011 NBA Playoffs have been pretty exciting. Here are some thoughts regarding the results of the First Round. Eastern Conference 1) Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: The Indiana Pacers are much like how the Oklahoma City Thunder were a couple years ago: young with a lot of potential. As such, the Pacers struggled to close out games versus the Bulls, blowing 4th quarter leads in Game 1, Game 2, and Game 3 and almost doing so in Game 4. The Pacers will need to make some decisions in order to determine which young players to keep and which players to trade for veterans to balance out the roster. This is further compounded by the pending departure of team executive Larry Bird, although former team executive Donnie Walsh may return if forced out of New York. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls showed that they have enough talent to challenge for the NBA Championship this year. Primarily, they combine the MVP leadership and play of Derrick Rose with the fierce offensive r