2011 Stanley Cup Champions

You wouldn’t have any trouble finding a single storyline in this years Stanley Cup Final. Right after Game 1 you had the biting incident from Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks. No matter how you look at it he bit Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins. The NHL was criticized by quite a few people both inside and outside of hockey for not suspending Burrows. Sure enough he was the hero of Game 2 as the Canucks took a commanding 2-0 series lead.

The Boston Bruins went back home for Games 3 and 4. Right from the start they lost their best offensive player up until that point, Nathan Horton to a ferocious hit by Vancouver’s Aaron Rome in the first period. Boston was none too pleased and outscored the Canucks 12-1 during those two games in the TD Garden. Now we had ourselves a series. Rome was suspended for the rest of the Stanley Cup Finals as to avoid any kind of revenge from the Bruins. The last three games were going to be very interesting.

Game 5 turned out to be the same story for the Bruins as they were shutout for the second time in Vancouver. The Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo even went after Boston’s goalie Tim Thomas saying that the lone goal Thomas gave up he would’ve stopped. He was basing that assessment on their different styles of play. Unfortunately Luongo made the mistake of giving the Bruins some bulletin board material for the last two games of the series.

Sure enough Game 6 was another blowout as the Bruins scored 4 goals in less than ten minutes on the Canucks to start the game. Three of those goals were against Luongo who was pulled after the third one. Vancouver was perplexed to say the least, but Daniel Sedin guaranteed the Canucks would bounce back and win Game 7 back in Vancouver. Puzzling thing is he actually retracted that guarantee a day later. My first thought was now you just lost the Stanley Cup.

Game 7 was all Boston right from the start. They kept playing their style of hockey and it was getting to the Canucks. The Bruins have a lot of scrappy players and one great goaltender in Tim Thomas who won the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP. With Nathan Horton out of action after Game 3, Brad Marchand stepped his game up and showed that he is going to be a great player for many years.

Captain Zdeno Chara was a big presence on defense, even playing goalie from time to time for Thomas. Veteran Mark Reechi will go out on top as a Stanley Cup champion for the third time in his career. Thomas had a rough 2009-10 season for the Bruins. He kept his chin up worked on his craft and was back in net for Boston when they needed him most for the 2010-11 season.

It goes to show you again that if you have a great goalie and play up to your standards on offense and defense you can wind up hoisting sports greatest trophy.

2011 NBA Champions

They had to wait 5 years to get back to the Finals. It was well worth the wait. The Dallas Mavericks were prepared and wanted it more than the Miami Heat. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry were with Dallas back in 2006 when they were beaten by the Miami Heat. Not that this was a re-match of any sorts, but either way it feels so good to Dirk and Jason to finally get that ring.

Say what you want about Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, believe me I have. He was going to win a championship at some point. What he has done with one of the worst franchises in basketball to get them to be a consistent contender year in and year out. The culture in that city has gone from being all about the Dallas Cowboys to we finally have a basketball team to proud of.

Cuban made some drastic changes after the 2006 Finals defeat. Avery Johnson was let go as the head coach after numerous disappointments in the playoffs. Rick Carlisle had the same trouble the last two years in the playoffs. The big difference this time around is they had a motivated Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry determined to not let history repeat itself.

Jason Kidd had seen the Finals in back-to-back seasons with the New Jersey Nets. Tyson Chandler wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through. Shawn Marion had seen many playoff runs end prematurely with the Phoenix Suns. J.J. Barea wasn’t going to let up at this point of the season after his impressive play against the Lakers and Thunder.

It was a consistent team effort that brought the Mavericks to victory during Game 2 when they were down by 15 with 7 minutes to go. Together they held off the Miami Heat during Game 4. As a team they came back to beat the Heat to win Game 5 and take their first series lead. There was no doubting the Mavericks as Dirk had an off night, but the rest of the team picked up their game on the way to victory in Game 6.

History might see this year’s Finals as the one the Miami Heat should have won if not for the disappearing act of a certain player. But that is a discussion for another day. For now what we should take from this is that after 2006 we all thought Dirk Nowitzki would never get another chance. He was labeled soft and didn’t have any post moves to speak of for a guy his size. He shook both and any other negative labels after this year’s performance in the playoffs.

Dirk Nowitzki is considered one of the most unique players of all-time. A seven footer who can hit three pointers at will and is nearly unguardable in the post. He changed his game. It worked. He has his ring and the Dallas Mavericks can celebrate their first NBA championship.

The Diesel Turns in his Keys

We all have different expectations for sports stars. Everyone is different, but we always compare present athletes to those of the past. It’s more for a point of reference, but they are all different. Case in point with the recently retired Shaquille O’Neal. The name alone is different, but fits his personality and what he brought to the game of basketball.

He brought instant stardom as the number one pick out of LSU. The Orlando Magic were put on the NBA map immediately with his size, deceptive speed and tremendous power. Instantly his name was shortened to ‘Shaq’ and it stuck. He’s had more nicknames than any other athlete that I can think of. Most of them were created by him, but to me the best one is ‘The Diesel.’ Simple and true. Anyone and everyone that played with or against him stayed out of his way in the paint when he had position.

Now he had some rough patches through his career. The way he left Orlando. The rift with Kobe in Los Angeles. Wearing out his welcome in Miami. Not making a difference in Phoenix or Cleveland. And the final short stint in Boston. You can say that most people will not remember what happened in Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston, but it will leave a mark for his legacy.

It’s hard to not like the guy. He is a charmer. A funny guy. He isn’t perfect, but he tries. There are some things that I don’t condone that he did. Rapping about Kobe Bryant after he won his fourth championship with the Miami Heat. I won’t repeat what he said, but it was uncalled for nonetheless. Of course the way he and Kobe handled their departure was just childish.

Shaq Diesel the player will be missed. I cannot wait for Shaq the TV commentator. Where he ends up won’t matter at all. He will still be a like-able person and an excellent personality as an analyst where ever he is. I was a big fan of his. I’ll be an even bigger fan going forward. After all he was the first person I followed on twitter.

So long Shaq. We can still re-visit your glory days on youtube. You are definitely in my top 5 for best centers in the NBA. I won’t go any further with my praise as to not offend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. By the way you’re in my top 5 too Kareem. Now we can see who gets a statue first outside Staples Center. Keep up the good work big fella. If your Hall of Fame speech is as any good as your farewell one, I can’t wait for it. “Can you dig it!!!”

2011 Stanley Cup Finals Preview

Eastern Conference

3. Boston Bruins

Western Conference

1. Vancouver Canucks

As I’ve said many times about the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you have a great goalie, you will have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. That is true for both of these teams. One was favored to win the Cup at the beginning of the season. The other was near the bottom of their conference to start, but worked their way to the top at the end.

The Bruins

Boston has that can do attitude. Zdeno Chara is a big reason why the Bruins have been so formidable throughout the playoffs. With his presence on defense he doesn’t let anyone get by him for easy goals. He is also a force in front of the net on power plays for Boston. Nathan Horton has been a consistent scorer for the Bruins. Being on the big stage isn’t getting to Horton at all. Tim Thomas, a Vezina finalist, is the reason why the Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Final. He backed up his guarantee against Tampa Bay in the conference finals. Now if he can keep Boston afloat against the most talented team in the NHL in Vancouver, the Bruins will be hoisting the Cup for the first time since 1972.

The Canucks

The Sedin twins remained quiet during the conference finals. Ryan Kesler is still being the disruptive force on the ice. They are taking advantage of their opponents mistakes. Goalie Roberto Luongo isn’t crumbling under the weight of the pressure. Everything is coming together at the right time for Vancouver. But it could all end in the blink of an eye. If Kesler isn’t playing at the same level. The Sedin twins remain quiet. Luongo gets cold feet. It could all come crashing down. One thing that will have to change is that the Sedin twins need to be more involved. They are their two best players and they must play up to their MVP like level.

Of course what this series boils down to is which goalie will win it for their team. Tim Thomas has made some iconic saves during these playoffs. Roberto Luongo was benched at one point during the semifinals, but has put that behind him. You can’t go wrong with either one right now. I like seeing one of the most iconic franchises in the NHL make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals. However I can’t go against my pre-season winner. The Cup will return to Canada.

Canucks in 6 games

2011 NBA Finals Preview

Western Conference

3. Dallas Mavericks

Eastern Conference

2. Miami Heat

Two completely opposite story lines for these two teams. One wasn’t given a chance to be in this situation. The other was talking of winning not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven championships before this season even started. Both teams, well one has a superstar while the other was struggling to find their identity together. All in all they meet for the ultimate prize in what is sure to be a competitive series that will define each teams legacy in basketball history.

The Mavericks

Dallas arrives as the underdog once again. A role that they are all too familiar with throughout these playoffs. Many (myself included) picked an upset in the first round with Portland beating the Mavericks. Many (myself included) picked the two time defending champion LA Lakers to beat the Mavericks. Many (yes, me again) picked the young Oklahoma City Thunder to be the representative of the Western Conference.
What did we learn? Don’t underestimate the Mavericks. Thanks in large part to Dirk Nowitzki and his big game heroics the Mavericks are playing in only their second title series. Ironically he has to beat the Miami Heat again to win his first title. It should be different this time though. He is playing at an all time level right now. His supporting cast is a bit different this time as well.
Jason Terry and Jason Kidd provide a nice backcourt combination. J.J. Barea is a force to be reckoned with all over the court. Shawn Marion is starting to show why he was considered one of the best all around players when he played with the Phoenix Suns. Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood are cleaning up the boards so Nowitzki doesn’t have to. Things should be different if Dallas gets an early lead in the series.

The Heat

Miami has Dwayne Wade to help them relive that 2006 championship. No one else from that team is on this years roster, but this is by far the most talented. LeBron James is getting a second chance to win his first championship. It will help to keep his critics at bay if the Heat win the title. Although they will say it won’t be the same if he had won on his own in Cleveland. Either way it will help him in the long run to win a title no matter where he’s playing.
Chris Bosh is more important now than at any point during these playoffs. He was a big part of their success against the Chicago Bulls in the Conference Finals. That was against a less mobile frontcourt in Chicago. Dallas’ is more agile, but Nowitzki will have to be forced to play defense if the Heat are to succeed. Miami has solved their problem at center by playing Joel Anthony a lot more during the playoffs. He has been a force in the middle not allowing easy layups in the paint.
The issue with Miami will once again be at point guard. Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers have been good, but in the crucial moments of the game the Heat are counting on LeBron and Wade to lead the attack. That could pose a problem with Dallas exposing the same problem with Oklahoma City in their Conference Finals matchup. Miami didn’t let that bother them against Chicago as LeBron and Wade handled it well in the final two games of that series.

There will be plenty to talk about during this series. One thing is certain though. Two players have a lot to gain and a lot to lose from this series. LeBron’s could begin in Miami with a championship. Dirk’s could end on a high note. Either way they both will be playing to prove something to the rest of the league.

Mavericks in 6 games