I LOVE THIS GAME!!!

i just suddenly woke up, hours after sleeping... and i realized...

the NBA FINALS ARE HERE!!!

my predictions were correct!!!! *ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!*

MAVS versus HEAT!

Hasselhoff vs. Shaq!
Speaking of Hasselhoff, if you want a good laugh, check out this video coutesy of YouTube. Never before have I seen such an impactful 4-second video. try it, your face will turn from pale and serious to red with laughter. You might even want to roll around on the floor.

I have always admired the Mavericks for their depth and versatility. Dirk "Hasselhoff" Nowitzki has not only developed to be a franchise player (he's only 27!!!), he has also developed a swagger that I believe epitomizes the team's sudden emergence. Of course, having Avery "Loudspeaker" Johnson as your head coach helps loads too, and every day Jason Terry looks a little bit more like the Little General. Josh Howard has quickly proven himself to be a core player on the team, and all the other pieces just fall into place nicely.

However, I believe the Heat have the advantage of experience. Pat Riley has been there since the Showtime-era of Magic Johnson, Shaq is raring to prove his ability in the post-Kobe era, Zo has been the face of endurance in the Miami franchise for a long time, ever since he got traded from the then-Charlotte Hornets. Antoine Walker is back with a twist to his game (I just love that shimmy he performed after a long swish on game 6 of the MIA-DET series. Classic.), The Glove has been paired with various people, had success individually, but never had a ring. Sure, he might have lost a step already, but his heart is still pounding and oozing competitiveness, and loads of swagger.

Dwyane Wade. He is unique. He is a class above Penny and Black Mamba being Shaq's sidekick. Shaq never looked so classic as ever before, and he's 34. What was once heralded a brute rampaging his way into defenses has developed a finesse game that fits his wit at this day and age. Columnists all over are acknowledging Wade as the reason for the run, and some say Pat Riley's genius did it. But I say it's all because of the Big Philosopher that the Heat are white hot going into the finals.

Honestly, Mavs vs. Heat doesn't make for a good NBA Finals. To a certain extent, it might even turn out to be anti-climatic. Why, you ask? because it does not have a perfect matchup. Shaq vs Ghana? Wade vs Adrian Griffin? Dirk vs. the Udon Monster? It just doesn't have a ring to it, Like Russell vs Chamberlain, Magic vs. Bird, or even Michael Jordan versus the entire opponent team (yes, even the coach, the dancers, the mascots, and the popcorn-man on the fifth row.)

So expectedly, it's hard to make a prediction, because I think the key to winning this series is winning more matchups than the other team. Other keys might include:
a.) MARK CUBAN's big fat mouth. Really, it's either you love him, or you hate him. There's no moderation, just extremes. Sometimes I love him, but sometimes I feel his whole psychological thing is detrimental to the game.
b.) FREE THROWS (translated to aggression) - why is this important? because the Mavs are beautiful at the line (to the tune of David Hasselhoff), while the Heat are atrocious.
c.) REBOUNDING/SECOND-CHANCE POINTS - both of these teams thrive off the boards. The Mavericks have outrebounded their opponents in all of the games in this year's playoffs. The Heat epitomizes monstrous rebounding in people like Shaq, Udon, and Zo. Offensive Rebounds will be precious.
d.) Foul Trouble (especially Shaq) - sad to say, officiating will be a major factor in this series, whether they will be anti-Shaq or Shaq-friendly. Because it will either be Shaq sitting down midway through the 2nd quarter with 3 fouls, or Dampier and Diop having 3 fouls each by halftime.
e.) most importantly, DEFENSIVE STOPS. key players: Josh Howard, Adrian Griffin, James Posey, Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning. Also, keep in mind pesky pickpockets like Dwyane Wade and Jason Terry. Of course the big man in the lane wearing red.

For me, since it's so hard to decide, I say the Heat will win in 6 or 7 games (I think 7).

Why? just because I want to see Shaq happy again before he begins to fade into oblivion. Maybe he has 2 or 3 more good years in Him. Heck, even Kareem won championships into his 40's. But we have to hope that Shaq's 340-pound frame won't be too much for his arthritic toe to handle over the next few years. Pat Riley deserves another one (or it may be a case of bad karma for him, for kicking out Stan van Gundy in the middle of the season). And please, this won't be the last we'll see of the Mavericks ok? Even though the Spurs are threatening to reform, and Amare will be back in full blast, nothing can stop Dirk's newfound passion for wagging his tongue a la Michael Jordan and the Mavericks from reaching the promised land again. Who's their oldest player? Jerry Stackhouse? or is it Keith van Horny? As a group, they are only in the beginning of many wonderful years with Loudspeaker Johnson.

So there you go, now I can sleep in peace.

By the way I know this is a bit late but...

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS!

The good news: New Jersey Nets are moving their homecourt to Brooklyn soon!
The bad news: I still have no choice but to support the Knicks for a couple of years... go knicks... sigh... zzzzzzzzzzzz.........