i think the coaches will be the critical factor in this series.
mavs beat the spurs because they had johnson at the helm.
the series ended ng 7th game at nag-overtime pa.
(where the spurs overcame a 20 point deficit nung 3rd quarter)
many believed it is one of the best series in nba history
where 6 out of the 7 games were decided in the last seconds.
yes, duncan was having his best games in this season BUT
because of the defensive adjustments made by johnson,
duncan was limited in the most crucial moments.
johnson put some defensive emphasis to a team known for its offense
thru harris, howard & diop.
the mavs offense? as long as nowitzki & terry is on fire,
the only thing they need to do is to defend properly.
however, this is johnson's first time in a finals as a head coach.
with regards to riley, he has 5 rings with the lakers.
riley has to make plays that will inhibit the defensive prowess of the mavs
by making the heat a run and gun team.
this will fully utilize the talents of williams & walker
and make it much more fun to watch wade
heat's defense? stop nowitzki and terry.
payton can handle terry.
but stopping a 7-foot perimeter shooter (and slasher)
is one hell of a headache for any coach.
just ask popovich and d'antoni.
