What happened?

The NBA Finals ended two nights ago. I got to work yesterday and my brother informed me that he was surprised I hadn't posted anything about game 6. Even now, a couple days removed, I don't have anything major to say. However, I have a number of issues to address so I'll get started.

1. The NBA and the Mavericks were both right about Jerry Stackhouse. He had to be suspended because Udonis Haslem got a game for throwing his mouthpiece in the area of the feet of a ref, James Posey got a game for running over a Bull (I think Kirk Hinrich), Raja Bell got a game for taking Kobe Bryant down by grabbing him around the upper torso, etc. So, precedent determined that Stackhouse should be suspended, his foul on Shaquille O'neal was flagrant and excessive and he didn't make a play on the ball. However, personally, I don't think any of those acts warrants a suspension, so that is where the Mavericks were right and David Stern dropped the ball.

2. The officials need to figure out what they are going to call and make it consistent. During the finals, the refs decided to call 3-seconds in the key. This call affected the Heat because Shaq was the dominant low-post player in the series. I think Alonzo Mourning may have been whistled for the infraction as well. However, I don't remember any carrying calls. My problem is this: certain rules affect different players and different teams more than others. If Shaq is allowed to camp under the basket, he's almost unstoppable. If you allow Josh Howard to palm the ball, he becomes much more effective. Thus, you need to enforce all the rules similarly, if you are going to call 3-in-the-key, you need to call travelling, palming, etc. The refs seem to have pet calls that they like to focus on and it's stupid.

3. The Heat were really good when they didn't turn the ball over. The problem they had was that they went through stretches where they didn't value possessions. Gary Payton was too busy yapping at an official yesterday to pay attention to where the ball was. He didn't have a clue that the ball was being passed to him ... it hit him ... he was surprised ... the Mavs got the ball. The entire series, it seemed like when the Heat buckled down and played hard, they were the better team. When the Heat lost interest or weren't focused, the Mavs were able to take advantage.

4. My recently retired high school basketball coach had, among his many pet phrases, "KYP! Know your personnel!" Late in game 6, Dirk Nowitzki used a screen by Erick Dampier, then tried to feed Dampier as he was rolling to the basket. The problem was, Dampier wasn't in a position he was comfortable receiving the ball. I'm not going to criticize Dirk too much, but he has to know that the risk-reward ratio of giving the ball to Dampier in that position isn't very favorable. Dampier couldn't handle the pass and the result was a costly turnover. That was an obvious KYP. However, you also have to know your opponents. Does anyone remember when Wade was whistled for a foul because he ran into Devin Harris while Jason Terry was knocking down a three from the corner? Personally, I thought the foul call was atrocious - it should have either been a no-call or a blocking foul on Harris, you can't expect Wade to stop, or change directions, on a dime when someone jumps out in front of him (especially considering Wade wouldn't have been able to challenge Terry's shot). But, the reason Terry was open in the corner was because three Miami Heat defenders, including Wade, flocked to DeSagana Diop (or is it DeSagna Diop ... it's about half and half when I googled it) when he received the ball about 12 feet from the basket. If Dirk got the ball in that position, for all means, come running and get the ball out of his hands. Diop? Let him shoot. Let him put the ball on the floor and cut him off if he drives. Don't come running from the other side of the court and leave Jason Terry wide open for a three-pointer!

5. Congratulations Gary Payton and Alonzo Mourning! Congratulations Michael Doleac! I heard Charles Barkley say he was happy for some of the Heat who won their first championship late in their careers. Good for them. I won a lot of games in high school, including two state championships. But, as fun as winning those titles was, they weren't the crowning achievements of my HS career. Why? I was a role player as a freshman and sophomore on really good teams. My junior year, we beat the defending state champions from the state of Washington and my senior year we made it to the semi-finals at state, beating the number 2 seed in the quarterfinals. Payton may be able to claim he's an NBA Champion, but this one won't be as sweet as it would have been if his Seattle Supersonics had beaten MJ and the Bulls. Mourning was a fantastic player earlier in his career. But, it's not the same as a back-up center as it would have been if he'd been able to win a championship as the centerpiece of a team earlier in his career. At least these players helped the Heat win their first title. It's better that way than jumping to a power (like Payton and Karl Malone did when they went to the Lakers) and piggy-backing their way to a title ... that's why I hate the Yankees. Sports shouldn't be based on "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." The correct way to look at it is "if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best."

6. I'll finish this off by giving the Heat one piece of advice before next year: dump Antoine Walker. Walker doesn't fit with the Heat. Walker isn't a good defender. Wade should be, but isn't really. Shaq isn't a dominant defender at this stage in his career. Jason Williams isn't a good defender either. Posey and Haslem played terrific defense against the Mavs and both those guys need to be on the floor. Walker doesn't have the make-up to be a role player and that is all he should be on the Heat. He shoots too many 3's, doesn't finish well at the rim, and throws up way too many crappy shots looking for fouls. He's not athletic and you don't need a "point-forward" to monopolize the ball when you have Williams (why else is Williams on the floor if it isn't to be a playmaker?) and Wade on the perimeter and Shaq in the post creating a lot of the offense by making plays for himself and others. Posey shoots the open three very well and the Heat need another wing player who can knock down the three consistently and play solid defense. That man is not Antoine Walker.