Heat Vs. Mavericks, 2011 NBA Finals: Dirk Nowitzki Blasts LeBron, Wade Coughing As ‘Childish’

But in Game 5, Dallas ran Terry through more off-ball screens and sent different big men to set screens for him. The difference between Terry and Rose is that Terry needs to be accounted for more off the ball in late-game situations than Rose ever did. In a one-on-one, isolation setting, LeBron can shut him down, but Dallas did a lot of things to make sure that didn’t happen. That tired LeBron out.

That leaves LeBron on Nowitzki in one-on-one settings, where James can really lock in. Clearly, Dirk isn’t Rose. Fighting Nowitzki for position and chasing him through all the screens Dallas sets to get him to his spots is half the battle, and James has to commit to doing it for the late-game possessions it would happen. But James, if motivated, is also the best suited to fronting Nowitzki, a new look that Miami has yet to use consistently. James is also athletic enough to stay in front of Nowitzki and has the length to contest his jumper. His athleticism also leaves him better equipped than anyone on the Heat to briefly cut off penetration on pick and rolls, then quickly rotate back to Nowitzki.