NBA finals 2006 Miami vs. Dallas

[omad]

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^^ me too.. but the irony of it all is that Griffin played for 45 games this year as a starter. imagine, sitting on his couch watching NBA games at the start of the season and then suddenly suiting-up for the Mavs not as a bench-warmer.. but as a starter. that only shows that AJ knows how he can get the most out of his role players and he knows what buttons to push in terms of getting the best out of his superstar player, Dirk Nowitzki.

[omad]

here's a part of Adrian Griffin's story from Topix.net :

Griffin didn't have an NBA team at the start of the 2005-06 season. He was cut by the Chicago Bulls before training camp and returned to his home in Houston to stay in shape and wait for a call. It was a lengthy wait.

Finally, almost four weeks into the season, Griffin received an offer from the Mavericks, who had lost Doug Christie to retirement and Josh Howard to an injury. 'Originally they told me they would need me in a couple of weeks,' Griffin said. 'Then they called and wanted me on a plane the next day. So I flew to Dallas, then the team flew out to play a game in Toronto.'

It's Griffin's second go-round for the Mavs. He spent the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons with Dallas, which lost in the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs, who went on to win the championship. Griffin marvels that he's getting a second chance with the same team.

'It's been a blessing,' he said. 'I just believe God gave me a favor by getting me to Dallas. When the season started, I was on my couch watching NBA games.'

As the season got started, then progressed for a couple of weeks, Griffin started to think his playing career might be over.

Much too early.

But there always seems to be a place for a player like Griffin, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes just to keep his job.
'A guy like me has to learn to find a way to contribute to a team's success, and sometimes that's hard to do,' Griffin said. 'I know this team doesn't count on me to score much, but at the same time I can get in there and get offensive rebounds. There's a chance I can get a steal, play some defense. There are a lot of ways to help your team win other than scoring. 'And Griffin excels in all of them. Which is why he averaged almost 24 minutes during the regular season, the most since his rookie season with Boston in 1999-2000. And even though his playing time has been reduced some during the playoffs, his value hasn't.

'For me, it's about being able to find a team where I'm a perfect match,' Griffin said.

That wasn't the case last season in Chicago on a young Bulls team.

'They wanted to develop those guys and it takes a lot of playing time to do that,' Griffin said.

He was relegated to long stretches on the bench.

But Dallas coach Avery Johnson has figured out when, and how, to best use Griffin.

full story

[jugs_06]

griffin---good for him..
this is what coaching genius is all about.. :mrgreen:

[indie]

nus-a man ang game 1 sa Fil time?

[inyourface]

DALLAS!

[fish]

nus-a man ang game 1 sa Fil time?

karon friday pa mga 9:00AM

[omad]

here's a position-by-position look at the matchups in the NBA final between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat courtesy of BRIAN MAHONEY of SLAM! Sports :

CENTRE: DeSagana Diop versus Shaquille O'Neal. A bust in Cleveland after being taken with the eighth pick in the 2001 draft, Diop has filled his role well in Dallas by providing the Mavericks with rebounding and shot-blocking. His presence in the middle helped slow Phoenix's penetration in the Western Conference semifinals. But now he gets the ultimate test in O'Neal, a three-time finals MVP who is shooting 61 per cent in this post-season. Erick Dampier will get plenty of minutes for Dallas as well - though they both might be in over their heads. Edge: Heat.

POWER FORWARD: Dirk Nowitzki versus Udonis Haslem. Already a star, Nowitzki now seems to have no weaknesses in his offensive game. He can hit a three-pointer on one possession and score on the blocks the next. If Haslem plays him, he'll surely try to be physical with Nowitzki. But Nowitzki could then just play away from the basket, which would also weaken the Heat because Haslem is a good rebounder they want near the rim. Edge: Mavericks.

SMALL FORWARD: Josh Howard versus Antoine Walker. A terrific defensive player who will probably spend a good amount of time on Dwyane Wade, Howard's offensive game has also become a key for the Mavs. They are 25-0 this season when he scores 20 or more points. Walker has had a good post-season as Miami's No. 3 scoring option behind Wade and O'Neal, showing a willingness to go inside instead of settling only for three-pointers. Edge: Mavericks.

SHOOTING GUARD: Adrian Griffin versus Wade. Wade is right there with Nowitzki as the two best players in this post-season. Even Detroit, regarded as one of the NBA's top defensive teams, rarely had an answer for him. Dallas could put Griffin back into the starting lineup for his defence, and Howard will likely get plenty of chances to defend Wade, too. Edge: Heat.

POINT GUARD: Jason Terry versus Jason Williams. Devin Harris has been getting the starts at the point for the Mavs since early in the second round, but they may move Terry back there now. Wherever he plays, he's an excellent outside shooter and the Mavs' second-leading scorer. Williams isn't the scorer, but the Heat don't need him to be with Wade in the backcourt. Edge: Mavericks.

RESERVES: Jerry Stackhouse, Dampier, Harris, Keith Van Horn, Marquis Daniels versus Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning and James Posey. Miami's bench made a huge difference against New Jersey and Detroit, but neither of those teams is deep. Dallas, on the other hand, is one of the deepest and most balanced teams in the league, able to turn to Stackhouse for scoring, Harris to quicken the tempo, and Dampier to play O'Neal. Edge: Mavericks.

COACHES: Avery Johnson versus Pat Riley. Riley put this team together, put himself in charge of coaching it, and has it peaking at exactly the right time. He remains one of the best there is at motivating players and has a wealth of experience in the finals. Johnson was coach of the year in his first full season, and has shown why he was such a good choice during the playoffs by constantly making the right adjustments. He went smaller and quicker to beat the Spurs, then figured out how to slow the Suns. Next up: figuring out what to do with Wade and O'Neal. Edge: Even.

[fish]

dili man si griffin ang first option sa shooting guard position... either jason terry or devin harris na bro...

[footlose]

miami in 6, miami has the experience and youth, shaq. will always be doubled, so wide open pirmi si wade, posey, og walker ,remember haslem is a great mid range shooter, mura na automatic iya jumpshot basta open, and kung suwertehon si walker lisod gyud, walker is streak shooter not a pure shooter, mas kuyaw ang streak shooter, walker can hit multiple treys in a minute plus he's a good passer, the best in feeding shaq.

[Ramini]

miami..grabe si dwayne wade murag mangtas!!!