Preview: Bright, new stars lead Miami, Dallas in NBA finals

By Paul Levine Jun 6, 2006, 22:41 GMT

Los Angeles - NBA reputations can be built on flash and numbers, but they are cemented by winning.

For finals newcomers Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas and Dwyane Wade of Miami, the series will be their showcase.

The best-of-seven series showdown begins with game one at 8 p.m. Thursday (0000 GMT Friday) in Dallas. Both teams are marking their finals debuts, the first such meeting since 1971.

There are the free-wheeling Mavericks, who under NBA Coach of the Year Avery Johnson have learned to love defence.

There is the old guard of the Heat, who have more championship experience in Shaquille O'Neal and veteran coach Pat Riley than most teams muster in a lifetime.

But the excitement of superstars trying to become legends is absolutely compelling.

'I think that your career in the league is pretty much defined by what you do in the playoffs and how many championships you get,' said Hall-of-Fame coach Chuck Daly, who led the Detroit Pistons to two titles.

Nowitzki has been a top player his entire career and averaged 26.6 points in the playoffs this year. But it wasn't until the versatile 7-foot German wunderkind dropped 50 points on the Phoenix Suns in game five of the Western Conference finals that sceptics saw just how amazing a player he is.

While Wade had a ridiculously impressive Eastern Conference playoff series with 26.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game against the Pistons, comparisons to basketball's greats emerged in earnest after 'Flash' showed his grit in game six, which he almost missed due to flu.

'Those guys, their names,' said Wade, when told of comparisons to Michael Jordan sick on the sidelines and Magic Johnson's feat of playing all five positions in the 1980 championship.

'Magic Johnson is a great player. I'm not even close to that. I've got to win a lot of championships to get there. I'm just a kid in a candy store right now, trying to have one.'

Heat coach Riley owns four titles as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s and guided the New York Knicks to the finals in 1994.

But critics had said that Riley had lost his touch and questioned whether he could find a way to make O'Neal and Wade win.

Reaching the finals is vindication of sorts for Riley, who virtually retooled the supporting cast in a series of acquisitions and deletions - including his decision to replace coach Stan Van Gundy early in the season.

Among the newcomers are veterans James Posey, Walker, Gary Payton, Jason Williams and Alonzo Mourning.

'We wanted to prove that coach didn't make the wrong decisions,' Walker said. 'Everybody on this team made a lot of sacrifices, and it's all coming together at the right time.'

After the Heat knocked off the Pistons, owners of the NBA's best regular-season record, Riley lifted the silver conference championship trophy as his players crowded in to touch the hardware - except for one.

'I only celebrate it when it's really over,' said O'Neal, who is eyeing his fourth championship ring. 'The job is not done.'

Dallas coach Avery Johnson had a different task when he took over the Mavericks. The 'Little General' had to convince one of the most exciting, high-scoring teams in the league that they needed to play better defence.

'He's been great,' Nowitzki said. 'He's brought some defensive intensity, and he brought us to the finals. We're glad he's with us.'

In addition to getting Nowitzki on board, the Mavericks took gambles on interior players like DeSagna Diop of Senegal and Erik Dampier. Each came with less-than-stellar reputations, but both will be needed to slow down O'Neal.

O'Neal is averaging 20.1 points and 9.6 rebounds in the playoffs, with 29 blocks in 17 games. More impressively, the 7-foot-1, 330- pound 'Diesel' has played in every game.

His numbers may not be as gaudy as when he was young, but while shooting 61.3 per cent from the field, he has looked at times every bit the dominating player he's been for more than a decade.

The Mavericks' supporting cast resembles that of the Heat - only younger and just as hungry to prove they belong. Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Devin Harris will make it very difficult for the Heat to concentrate on Nowitzki.

Dallas is making its first NBA Finals appearance since joining the league in 1980, while Miami took just 18 years.