Blazing Fire

Heat Win NBA Finals in 6

Mr. West - As we both predicted (sorry, but you know we had to say that to stroke our own egos), the Miami Heat took the NBA crown in 6 games. In fact, Mr. West had them winning it all back in our season forecast. And, sorry Mr. East, but your prediction of the Pacers over the Rockets was [insert Bob Ueker voice here] JUST a bit outside.

The attention placed upon the refs and NBA positioning crated by Mark Cuban and the Mavs is a little bit of overkill in my opinion. But it is hard to totally discount the impact of very subjective calls at key points in the two big games. Still, Wade is sick. He was Jordan sick.

The most important element of the Heat win? Pat Riley, give him some real credit, somehow got that whole team of veteran egomaniacs to bow at the altar of Dwyane Wade. If you told me 3 years ago that Gary Payton, Shaq, Antoine Walker, Alonzo Mourning, and Jason Williams all would defer to a youngster like Wade so easily, I would have thought you to be nuts. Yet Riley did it. Maybe the players all become selfless and angels on their own … but I fucking doubt it. The talent that is Wade plus the power that is Riley = egos in check, trophy in hand.

Mr. East - Thanks for reminding me of my pre-season prediction. Pacers over the Rockets? Ugh. I've been picking the Pacers to win it every year for the last 5 or 6 years, I think. I should know better by now. Jermaine O'Neal is just a walking pile of broken parts. Tinsley is a turnover machine made of paper mache. Stephen Jackson is a crank who can't (or won't) play defense. I don't care about his steals numbers. Ron Artest, in my defense, was in Sacramento by season's end, and I think they stole him. Peja Stojakovic is on the downward swing of a nice career. He will record career lows next year for sure. The Rockets lost out on McGrady's back and Ming's foot. The rest of the "supporting cast" couldn't support my nutsack.

Enough about my horrible predictions. I'd like to pat myself on the back for at least getting the Finals right. Even 1 billion monkeys typing on 1 billion typewriters will eventually write something interesting.

Wade was better than I could have imagined. He quickly made himself the best player in the NBA until someone takes that crown from him. LeBron gets a lot of press, partly because of how good he is at such a young age, but Wade is there right now. He's the kind of player that carries a team to a title. He dragged Shaq there this year. Nowitzki did his best, but he couldn't keep up the pace over 6 games. That's what it takes to enter the pantheon of greats. 12-21 games of excellence. Dirk was close but Wade was better.

The thing I can't get over is that Jason Williams and Antoine Walker now are NBA Champions. How is that possible. Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse? Payton and Mourning got theirs, so I guess it balances out in the end, but the Antoine Walker shimmy is now forever etched in stone as the move of a champion. Puke.

Next year I'm picking the Knicks to win it all.....