DeShawn Stevenson vs. Dwyane Wade
D-Steve was thought to be a cap-balancing throw-in when he was traded along with Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to Dallas almost 16 months ago. But Stevenson is the only one of those three still starting, though in a limited role. He starts the first and third quarters, and will make a pressure release 3-pointer now and then. But the Mavericks use Jason Terry to finish most games when they go to their three-guard rotation. I'll pay cash, though, if Rick Carlisle will let Stevenson take LeBron for a few possessions a game, so that we may relive one of the most hilarious "feuds" in recent league history.
When Stevenson was in Washington, he took an immediate and public dislike toward James, calling him overrated, among other things, but never disclosing exactly what it was that set him off. Then Stevenson invited rapper Soulja Boy to sit courtside at a Wizards-Cavs playoff game to heckle James. James responded by getting his rapper friend to record a quickie "diss" of Stevenson at a local D.C. nightclub. The friend was Jay-Z. Oh pleeeze let these two hook up again!
Now, back to the guard matchup.
Whether Wade's shoulder was the culprit or he was just tired from chasing Ray Allen in the East semis, Wade barely registered for most of the Chicago series. And yet he came alive in the last three minutes of Game 5; after his four-point play Miami's comeback seemed almost inevitable. That the Heat were able to better the NBA's top defense with their primary closer shooting just 40 percent from the floor and 20 percent from behind the arc bodes well for Miami's chances in The Finals. Even an injured Wade is likely to shoot better than that against the Mavericks, especially with four days off between games to rest the wing and get treatment.
EDGE: MIAMI
Finals matchup: Small Forward
Shawn Marion vs. LeBron James
Replacing the injured Caron Butler as a starter much of the second half of the season after coming off the bench for the first time in his career, the 33-year-old Matrix was a revelation. Since the start of March and through three rounds of the playoffs, when he's been starting most games at small forward, Marion is shooting 51 percent from the floor, including 26 points in 40 minutes in the Western Conference clincher against Oklahoma City. And Marion was outstanding defensively against Kevin Durant in the West finals, using his length, his feet, his savvy and his brains to frustrate Durant into 37.5 percent shooting. Now he gets to dance with James for a couple of weeks. If anyone has the defensive skill set to frustrate the King, it's Marion.
First, he's long and can contest jumpers. Second, he hasn't lost a lot of his lateral quickness, which means he can still get to spots ahead of the offense to draw charges. Third, he's spent his entire career guarding bigger, stronger players at power forward, so taking James on is not a new challenge. (Back in the day in Phoenix, Marion guarded Tim Duncan, Chris Webber and Rasheed Wallace, among others.) Fourth, being a veteran with a reputation as a strong defender, Marion could get benefit-of-the-doubt non-calls from officials. And despite all of the above, it's going to be almost impossible for Marion to slow James down.
He's on a great roll, carrying Miami for long stretches with pinpoint passing when doubled, a vastly more trustworthy jumper when singled and a great sense of when his team needs him to get going. But James has always been a near-impossible assignment on offense. Where he's gotten even better in the last couple of years is at the defensive end. I don't know what the advanced metrics say, but I know what my eyes tell me, and that is he's ready and able to take on whatever defensive challenge his team needs. Being the first and most important line of defense against Derrick Rose in the East finals was the capper. There may be one or two guys in the league that can keep Rose anywhere close to in front of them, and James is one of them. Rose doesn't shoot 4-of-23 from the floor in the fourth quarter over four games against most players or teams. This should be a great matchup at both ends, but have to give James the nod.
EDGE: MIAMI
