2006 NBA Playoffs: No ''I'' in Mavsby Mark RothsteinJohnson solid leader We thought the Detroit Pistons exemplified team basketball. As it turns out, there are more than five players on a basketball team. The Pistons, two-time Eastern Conference champions and seeking their second NBA title in three years, imploded at the moment of truth. They barely survived the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games during the Eastern semifinal, then got humiliated by the Miami Heat in the conference final, four games to two. The Heat were supposed to be the ones with questions about team chemistry; instead, it was Detroit who fell apart, openly criticizing coach Flip Saunders for his questionable substitution patterns and lack of attention to defense. Pat Riley's radical offseason makeover of the club is now an unqualified success. Offensively gifted players like Jason Williams and Antoine Walker, who had trouble living up to expectations at other stops in their NBA careers, became useful specialists for the Heat, while Gary Payton and James Posey (especially Posey) provided the complementary defense. Riley, resuming the role of coach, used this versatility to create matchup problems that Saunders could not solve. For the quickest and easiest depositing methods available, sign-up today at BetUS.com, "for over 15 years they have been the Pioneers and World-wide Leaders in Online Sports, Poker, Casino and Racebook Gaming!" Always receive great odds, huge bonuses and fast payouts only at BetUS.com! BET ON FOOTBALL! Deposit $300 and get $100 in Bonuses! The Pistons may have been the title favorites going into the postseason, but it looks like the Dallas Mavericks will present Miami with a challenge worthy of an NBA finals. Dallas coach Avery Johnson has been masterful at putting the right people on the court at the right time, and his mix of players appears deeper and even more talented than what Riley has to work with. The Mavs are favored in this series, and go into Thursday's Game 1 as 4 -point home favorites. The total is 192 . Johnson has been a virtuoso conductor during these playoffs, especially at the center position. Erick Dampier abused Memphis in the first round with 8.8 rebounds (more than half of those on the offensive glass) and 2.25 blocks per game. However, it was Cavs castoff DeSagana Diop who was lauded for his defensive work against Tim Duncan in the following series against the Spurs. The third round against the Suns saw Diop split time with both Keith Van Horn and Adrian Griffin as Johnson took full advantage of the injuries to Phoenix' frontline. Now that the 2007 March Madness has arrived, we are ready to offer everyone college basketball predictions! None of the big men Dallas has confronted thus far in the postseason - not even Tim Duncan - can change a game like Shaquille O'Neal. Even if O'Neal is slowly easing into a "secondary" role behind the truly dominant Dwyane Wade, there is still a vast drop-off between Shaq and every other center in the NBA. Saunders went into the trenches against O'Neal with his starting five and lost. Johnson will not make that same mistake; Dampier will likely make a return to action as he and Diop try to contain O'Neal and get the big man in foul trouble. "You need bodies," Johnson told reporters Monday. "We've got two big bodies now." The time has come for betting on the Belmont Stakes! The World's top 3 year olds return for the third leg of the Triple Crown! Make your Belmont Stakes picks and place your 2007 Belmont Stakes horse racing bets by Saturday, June 9th!! Miami's challenge will be to do something, anything to stop Dirk Nowitzki. In 17 postseason games, Nowitzki has produced a jaw-dropping average of 28.4 points and 11.9 rebounds, plus 3.1 assists and 1.2 steals for good measure. That gives him a playoff Player Efficiency Rating of 29.85, just a shade behind Duncan. Nowitzki's full-court skills make him incredibly difficult to guard. If Riley can find the right personnel to do it, his legacy will be cemented and Miami will have its first NBA title. The difficulty of that task is what makes Dallas the favorite. Comments or Questions? Email FaceOff@BetUS.com. --- by BetUSradio at 1800-sports.com on June 06, 2006
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