Dwyane Wade believes chemistry gave Dallas Maverick an edge in last season’s NBA Finals
Last season, Dwyane Wade got to know a new feeling, a feeling, he does not want to experience again - losing the NBA Finals. The Miami Heat super star had been to the Finals once before, winning the grand prize back in 2006. This
time though, he lost out to the Dallas Mavericks and he knows why; they had better chemistry.
“One thing that Dallas beat us at – they had more chemistry than us. They had a game plan and we were still figuring ours out in our first year together.” The shooting guard told ESPN.
The Mavericks had a roster full of veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, as well as good role players such as Brandon Haywood and Jose Barea. They were galvanized by the splendid Rick Carlisle and by the time
they made it to the NBA Finals, they had meshed together perfectly.
Same can however not be said about Miami Heat.
Miami assembled a super squad last summer. Not only did they re-sign Dwyane Wade, a former NBA Finals MVP, they also got hold of Chris Bosh and two-time NBA MVP LeBron James. However, things did not click for them to an extent
that they wanted. At crucial junctures, Wade and James found themselves in a role dilemma and the Mavs fed off it.
The result was a defeat in six games and a feel good victory for the underdogs – the Mavs. Wade, though, is determined not to let history repeat itself next season. He is already thinking of the NBA Championship again and believes
the whole team will have to improve to get their hands on the Larry O’Brien trophy.
“Individually, we have to come back as better players.”
Wade also talked about the reasons for Miami not getting the same comfort level on their roster as Dallas had on theirs. He blamed a number of issues, including injuries.
“I think that obviously that was something that happened early on with me missing time, with the guys coming down. It’s not that easy to put that kind of talent together as fast, but we tried our best and we did a pretty good job.
But next year, we’ll be a little bit better. We’ll all be more comfortable from the start.”
That could be a cause for concern for the rest of the NBA. The Heat were beaten in the NBA Finals, but it took quite a herculean effort from Dallas. The Mavs were exceptional last season, a fact borne out not only by their triumph
over the Heat, but also by their 4-0 spanking of two-time defending NBA Champs, the Los Angeles Lakers.
It is unlikely that Mark Cuban’s side would be able to repeat all that. Next year, the veterans would be a year older, while Miami would be a year wiser.
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