KontradictioN

Still unsure how you can say that Dirk earned his way to the free throw line when he got away with doing a lot of the same stuff that you complain about LeBron doing. Does Dirk not lower his shoulder and knock someone back? Is it really that different that, when Dirk does it, he steps back into a jumper whereas LeBron takes it to the hole? Both are fouls. The difference is that the Heat were getting called for it. Nowitzki was not. Still, like I said, complaining about officiating is a lame dick excuse. While I will complain about the double standard, I won't blame it for the loss. The Heat did plenty on their own to lose that series.

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CREDIT - Sicilian

KontradictioN

DeShawn Stevenson is a starter, so I'm not sure how you can say that he's a "bit player". He also played a very big role in them winning this series. Dismissing his actions as tolerable while LeBron and Wade get strung up on a cross for coughing a few times just because he isn't the "face of the franchise" is a failure in logic. He was still acting like a douche, but didn't get called for it by the fans or the media because he was doing it toward the Heat.

Let me frame this using a situation you're familiar with: Does Terrell Suggs not deserve to be publicly called out for being a douche when he slams Brady verbally in front of the press? Of course he does. But he doesn't. The reason? Many people hate the Patriots and are willing to let that pass. However, when Brady comes out and says something back to Suggs, people are quick to jump on Brady for being a "classless douche". Do you see how these two situations are similar?

And if Bosh was a presence in the paint the way he was in the Chicago series and if Joel Anthony was able to get rebounds and if the Heat's role players were able to knock down wide open jump shots in a timely manner, the Heat would have won the series without question too. Does LeBron deserve a lot of the blame? Sure. It seems as if EVERYBODY elevated their offensive games during the Finals except him. But he doesn't deserve all of it. Their team defense, collectively, failed. That was the major reason for losing the series.

It's called confidence. All of the great players have it. LeBron somehow lost his during the Finals. That's why I'd put LeBron in the "very good" level right now, but I wouldn't put him as a "great". Dwyane Wade, however, I would label "great". His numbers in the two Finals that he has participated in have been jaw dropping.

Agreed. Anybody that has a history in basketball could clearly see that his confidence wasn't there. Once again, he simply wasn't ready for the moment.

With that said, though, the Heat got to the Finals and took a 2-1 lead with an aging PG and a 6'9" C. Imagine what they could do with Chalmers (who I saw take that step during the playoffs, not sure about everyone else) starting next year and a seven footer in the paint.

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