The NBA: We Know Drama

By Guest Blogger Tyler Daly:

This catchphrase, coined by the PR geniuses at TNT, seems more applicable to the NBA Finals this year. Sure, it’s the Finals and tensions are always at an all-time high and every mistake is scrutinized more than usual because it is basketball’s biggest stage. But, this year’s drama trounces Finals of recent memory.

Dirk Nowitzki has brought us the heroic drama. The seven foot jumpshooter has elevated his game at all the right points. When the Mavericks go down, Dirk always seems to be the one who sparks the rally. No surprise there, as he is one of four players in NBA history to average 25 PPG and 10 RPG in the playoffs for their career; but, Dirk has been especially clutch in the fourth quarter and has made instrumental plays like the go-ahead dunk in Game 5 or the game winning basket while playing with a fever of 102 in Game 4 (who’s coughing now Dwayne?).

Lebron James has brought us the villain drama. When Miami created this team, it effectively polarized the world of basketball. It seems now that if you aren’t in love with South Beach, you despise them and have taken much amusement in Lebron’s fourth quarter struggles. And how amazing are the struggles? James has only scored 11 points in the 4^th quarter total, for the entire series. If you’ve tuned in and watched, you’ve noticed that at times you’ll forget James is in the game at the end. Whether it’s fatigue or a lack of desire, Lebron will have some serious questions to answer if Dallas wins the series. If not a lack of effort or fatigue, how else do you explain how the same guy who wouldn’t let Derrick Rose get past him is now letting Jason Terry (no offense, love the guy) blow by him on the offensive end? Maybe now we can finally put the Lebron vs. Jordan issue to bed, because Jordan never scored below 20 in a playoff game, let alone 8. Jordan never abandoned his team either, but that discussion is for a different day.

It certainly looks like the Dallas Mavericks are holding all the cards right now, except home court advantage. They have the momentum and are playing the best basketball they have all series, and Dallas is 3-0 in series clinching situations during this year’s playoffs. Without a doubt this year’s Finals have been the most entertaining I have seen since watching Jordan in the late 90’s. Whether you’re rooting for a team or not, tune into Game 6 and watch history unfold before your eyes. Dramatically.