Dallas Mavericks aim for back to back NBA Championships

The 2011 NBA Draft wasn't one of the bigger ones in past years. Kyrie Irving of Duke was picked by Cleveland and Irving had only played 11 games for his entire college career. It wasn't a draft where there were any definite superstars. It's not to say that any of these players can't make an impact on the teams that drafted them but their were no "can't miss picks".

Let's take a look at some of the contenders in the upcoming year and possibly see if we can possibly find some value in any future NBA betting propositions, that is if the NBA Lockout doesn't take place.

The Miami Heat - 5/2

NBA odds makers have currently installed the Miami Heat as the heavy favorite to win the championship according to Bodog. I'm not surprised that they're the favorites. They came within a couple of games with a newly developed team of taking the title. What I'm surprised about is how heavily favored that they are.

This is a team with 2 thoroughbreds in Lebron James and Dwayne Wade. They also have another very good player at an important position in Chris Bosh. However, Miami proved that they were incapable of dealing with the Dallas Mavericks. This was no fluke. Miami lacks depth as a team.

Their bench finally made an appearance late in the playoffs but the Mavericks simply outclassed them. It was all about experience. If the odds were defined by a measure of pure talent of the team's superstars, then I would understand such an extreme separation from the rest of the pack.

Let's face it, big players come up big at crucial moments of the game. Lebron James in particular, disappeared in many 4th quarters in the finals. That's not to say that Lebron isn't a "big time player". At this point, he's the best player in the NBA but the pressure from the fans, the Mavericks, and the pressure that he put upon himself was too much for him to handle in 2010-2011. 

Miami has acquired point guard Norris Cole from Cleveland State with the 28th pick of the draft. He is slight in build but is known for his athleticism. Cole should fit in well with a Heat team that needs some depth and a point guard..

Expect the Miami Heat to have a similar season to the one that they had last year. It's a matter of can they come up in the big spots? I don't expect Dallas to just be satisfied with winning 1 title and riding off into the sunset.

Can Miami find a way to counteract the attack of the Dallas Mavericks offense and defense? This is a big year for Lebron James, as he hasn't won a title. If he doesn't win this year, he won't be looked at the same as a player and expect the Heat to make wholesale changes.

Los Angeles Lakers - 11/2

I'm very low on the Los Angeles Lakers as they made an abrupt exit in the playoffs this past season. Kobe Bryant is starting to show some age. He's been compared to Michael Jordan but I don't remember M.J. declining the way that Kobe did in the playoffs and for part of last year. Pau Gasol was the 2nd best "Gasol" in the playoffs. I actually thought that his brother Marc had a much better post season than he did.

Phil Jackson would get frustrated and yell at Gasol often. Gasol has always been a great complimentary player. He's the main reason why the Lakers won their last couple of rings, Gasol was the missing piece and Kobe Bryant has always acknowledged that fact. After trade talks, Andrew Bynum came on like a ball of thunder. The Lakers will need Bynum to keep up that kind of intensity without taking off his shirt after a defeat.

Lamar Odom had a great season but I think the all-star snub really affected him greatly. He wasn't nearly the player that he was before the all star game. Possibly, Hollywood and reality shows have taken a slight toll on Lamar as he seems to be consumed with many different things. Odom is still a good complimentary player that can handle the ball, shoot, and is a a good passer. LA has talked about trading Lamar. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Point guard Derek Fisher has proven that he's had a nice career but it''s time to move on.

The Lakers have moved on as they drafted point guard Darius Morris from Michigan. Morris was picked up in the 2nd round and the Lakers were lucky to find him there. Morris is a good passer that needs to work on shot selection. This is definitely a great pickup for LA and their new head coach Mike Brown.

Overall, I think that the Lakers have already hit their peak. Expect them to have a productive season but don't expect them to be carrying the championship trophy.

Chicago Bulls - 13/2

The Chicago Bulls did everything right last season expect for winning the title. They remind of a team like the Utah Jazz in the past. They would always play very well all season but didn't have what it took to be a championship team. After watching the Bulls against the Heat in the Conference Finals, I've come to that realization. Their roster is filled with young talented stars. They were a deeper team than Miami and if you matched roster to roster, you would give them the edge.

Although he was the league's MVP, point guard Derrick Rose is still very young and when it came to crunchtime, he folded. In my opinion, he's one of those players that's hit his maximum level of production and I don't think that he could get any better. He looked scared as he missed a crucial free throw in the conference finals elimination game. Great players don't have that look.

It was disappointing to see the Bulls go down that way. I think that they have all of the pieces at each position to be a complete top level basketball team. There's not much to say. They had the perfect year and were unable to defeat a team that's basically 3 players deep in the Miami Heat.

The Bulls picked up Serbian forward Nikola Mirotic. He's supposed to be one of the best players in the draft. The problem is that he won't be playing for Chicago anytime soon. Expect the Bulls to drop off slightly but still have another productive season. Don't expect them to make it to the finals. They had the perfect opportunity and opportunites are difficult to come by.

Oklahoma City Thunder - 15/2

This is a team that's young and talented. I could see an NBA title in their future, but not just yet. Against Dallas, superstar point guard Russell Westbrook proved that he still needs improvement. When you go up against a veteran team that need's to win now like Dallas, the chinks in the armor start to show and they did with Westbrook.

He has a bright future. He's lightening quick but needs to combine intelligence and athleticism instead of completely counting on his athletic ability alone. Aside from needing to put on some weight, not much more could be expected from Kevin Durant. He's soft but he's a highly skilled offensive player. It would serve him well to take lessons from Dirk Nowitzki who had the same issue earlier in his career.

The man behind the beard James Harden, isn't the best player on the team but he's the most clutch player. Harden has a complete game and the Thunder need to give Harden more playing time. he was fantastic in the playoffs. Jeff Van Gundy called Harden his favorite player and it's easy to see why. Harden just needs to play. His mental game is second to none.

The Thunder picked up point guard Reggie Jackson out of Boston College in the draft. He's similar to Russell Westbrook. Jackson fits right in with a young team with athleticism. I think that it's a great pick and he should fit in very well with OKC.

Oklahoma City is a tricky team. They're not ready to win a title yet, but if any teams in the Western Conference slip up, the Thunder easily advance to the finals. I see them being a great matchup against Miami. Both teams are very athletic. This isn't a team that Wade and James would want to see in the NBA finals but might see in the very near future. James Harden is the key to this team's success. They were a difficult "out" last season and will remain the same.

Dallas Mavericks - 9/1

There has been a line change recently with Dallas. I had my eye on them after the finals and I was thinking of the great value that they were at 11/1 on Bodog. The public must be thinking so also. The only thing that has changed with Dallas is that they're a year older. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry are still young enough to win another title.

Yes, it's now or never for the Mavs because the clock is ticking. Jason Kidd expressed an interest to play another 3 years! I was pretty down on Kidd for passing on shots but I read that he was retaught by a specialist because his shootinng form was very poor. I must say, when a crucial bucket needed to be hit and Kidd was left alone, he hit it. There are a lot of veterans on this team unlike most of the other contenders. There's a definite urgency to win now and that benefits Dallas.

J.J. Barea might be a small man but is one of the main figures to the Mavs success. People underestimate his ability to change a game when he has confidence. In the beginning of the finals, he didn't have the confidence. As the finals progressed, Barea's play picked up and was one of the main reasons why the Mavericks won. Dirk Nowitzki had a poor shooting game in the clincher

The veterans, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Shawn Marion, are the team. Marion comes up with some very clutch plays in where he's hustling and just thinking on his feet, using his experience. Jason Terry can come off the bench cold and hit pivotal shots time and time again. He got the championship tattoo early and he also picked up the much awaited ring and title. Terry is the perfect complimentary player to Dirk Nowitzki.

Dirk Nowitzki is a special player. I won't leave Ray Allen out, but the two hardest working players in the NBA are Dirk Nowitzki and Ray Allen. Do you notice that they both have won NBA titles? These are the type of players that spend endless amount of time on their game practicing, before and after the games. It's all about repitition. Ray Allen would come to the Knicks games so early that he'd be practicing on the court with the Knicks City Dancers.

Dirk Nowitzki is the same way. He practices endlessly with his mentor-coach from Germany. How many times did the camera flash to the coach in the stands? There's a reason why. Because he spent half of Dirk's life molding him into one of the 15-20 greatest basketball players of all time. (some say top 10).

Dirk has validated the work and his career with an NBA Title. He never looks for the spotlight. He practices different ways to alter his shot and with his size, he's unstoppable. Nowitzki is simply automatic from the free throw line in any clutch game. Do you think that Dirk would miss the free throw that Derrick Rose missed? You could mortgage your house that he wouldn't.

He was at a disadvantage with a torn tendon on his non shooting hand and he still found a way to play. He had a virus another game and he still played. Neither Wade or James, or their mimicking his sickness could stop him. Do you think that they can stop him when he's 100% ? It a psychological thing now. He's gotten to the Heat and you might possibly see a rematch in the 2011-2012 NBA Finals between Miami and Dallas.

Dallas also has the best owner in the game in Marc Cuban. Dallas also picked up Rudy Fernandez from Portland in return for their draft pick. This team is here to win now and is a bargain at 9/1 odds. Dirk Nowitzki is a player that loves the game. He'll be seeking to win back to back titles and he has a very good chance of doing so.

Honorable Mention

Boston Celtics - 12/1

The Boston Celtics destroyed the New York Knicks in the playoffs and then ran into a buzzsaw in the Miami Heat. The Celtics are a veteran team with a great young point guard in Rajon Rondo. They can beat any team on any given day. Their timeframe for a championship is closing but it's not completely closed shut. Miami isn't a good matchup for them. They would have to hope for either the Heat to be upset by a team or demoralized from their loss in the 2010-2011 NBA Finals.

I don't see them having any other chance of getting around the fresh legs of Miami. Boston did have their chances in their series with the Heat but part of the game is mental and that series had to leave a lasting impression on the Celtics. Look for Boston to be in the mix and make things interesting.

The Celtics are also looking to improve their roster with youth when they went with 2 selections from Purdue in the NBA Draft. They picked up power forward JaJuan Johnson in the 1st round and shooting guard  E'Twaun Moore in the 2nd round. Two solid selections and Johnson would possibly be a more polished version of Glen Davis.

Prediction

I'm very high on Oklahoma City in the upcoming years but I think we see a repeat in the finals of Dallas vs. Miami with the same outcome. Dirk Nowitzki and the rest of the Dallas veterans match up well against the Heat and know that their time is now. The Heat will have plenty of opportunities to win titles if they keep themselves together mentally and add some depth to their team. Look for the Mavericks to win back to back NBA titles.

Pick - Dallas 9/1