The Miami Heat used defense and Dwyane Wade to pull away from the Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. In Game 2, it’s up to Dallas to adjust.
For The Dallas Mavericks, Rick Carlise’s Adjustments Key In Game 2
For one thing, ow will they account for Miami’s speed? Dallas has been outstanding on offense all playoffs long, but they’ve yet to face a team that can cover as much ground on defense as Miami did in Game 1. Plus, there’s questions surrounding the lineups the Mavs will play.
Will they use more of Deshawn Stevenson, who only played 14 minutes in Game 1? Stevenson’s probably the one Dallas player who’s best equipped to stop Dwyane Wade and/or LeBron James in one-on-one situations, yet Mavs’ coach Rick Carlise went with guys like Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry instead.
If those guys can’t provide offense, how long will Carlise stick with them in Game 2? And with Dallas coming off a game where the Heat beat them badly on the boards, it’ll likely be up to Carlise to come up with a few lineups that mitigate that advantage. The for Dallas comes down to balance.
In Game 1, the Mavericks pinned their hopes to their bench scoring, hoping that guys like J.J. Barea and Peja Stojakovic could provide enough offense to mitigate their weaknesses (rebounding, defense). That didn’t work out so well. Now, it’s up to the Mavs to find a formula that works.
If Barea, Peja, and Jason Terry can all bounce back, then there’s a good chance things will a lot more competitive this time around. If not, than Dallas’ coaching staff will have some tough decisions to make. If their go-to bench weapons can’t beat the Heat, than how long will Rick Carlisle stick with them before finding someone who can?
There’s a lot of questions surrounding Dallas right now, and whether it’s Barea and Peja or Rick Carlisle switching things up, it’ll be up to the Mavs to answer. If not, we could be in for another loud statement from the Heat in Game 2.
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