Miami's strength: Wade may take a licking, but he keeps on ticking

The first game of the NBA Finals wasn't the best start for a championship series by either team. There were too many turnovers and not abundant offense. The Mavericks are up 1-0, carried by the scoring from Jason Terry, who put up 32 points in Game 1. Due to Dwayne Wade's recent ailment and Shaq's poor free-throw shooting (hey, he's never been more than a 50-60% shooter from line anyway) everyone feels the Heat are in trouble.

I will give credit to Dallas, they have an excellent offensive squad that can hurt any team from the inside and outside. Dirk Nowitzki brings so much to the table, he's a leader, offensive weapon, energy booster, crowd pleaser, and smart all-around player. With that said this doesn't make the Mavs formidable. Miami will still have to dig down deep and pull out some stops on defense and capitalize off turnovers on transition. Out in the open court on fast breaks they're hard to stop.

The central focal point of Miami's scoring attack is Dwayne Wade. I know he may not be 100% now, though he shouldn't be underestimated. When sick he's still a threat. His performance in Game 1 wasn't close to normal, though managed 28 points (11-25 FG, 6-10 FT) with 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. No one else on the team produced more than 17 points. Shaq shot a high percentage inside (8-11 FG), but didn't receive enough touches. The Big Fella and the rest of the gang will need to step it up a notch and relieve Wade from the weight on scoring.

Whether D Wade is completely rested, healthy, or not you can rest assure he will be bringing it with everything he's got in the tank. His speed will be a major factor. If he can get in the lane, split the defense, and rack up points fast the Mavs may have no answers. I don't expect much will slow Wade down. He's a gamer and a spirited competitor that will risk his body for a victory. No matter how many times he falls down he will get back up. It's going to be back and forth exchange Sunday night in Dallas. Wade and Shaq will try to even the series and return home with a brimming ray of confidence.