Small Ball Takes All

The Western Conference Finals have been different this year.

No Shaq. No Duncan. No Stoudemire. Something is wrong with this picture.

When the Western Conference Finals were determined last week, I was quite bewildered. The more offensive minded teams, the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns, were moving on to compete for a championship. The strategy of just “pounding it inside” to either Tim Duncan, Elton Brand, or Chris Kaman failed to thwart the surge of the victors. Tim Duncan had ridiculous numbers but was unable to score in regulation, resulting in the Spurs loss in the Game 7 overtime. Elton Brand had his way against Phoenix, shooting between 60-80% from the field but could not pull out needed victories. Finally, Chris Kaman was a monster on the offensive boards, but whether hampered by shoulder injuries or not, did not have any impact as the series went on.

The Eastern Conference picture was no different. The last two teams remaining were the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat. The Pistons do not rely on a dominant center; Ben Wallace is more like a moving wall and never scores while Rasheed is a poor man’s Kevin Garnett who can shoot and is more athletic than a center. The Miami Heat, on the other hand, have a dominant center…or at least he used to be. Shaq has had a roller coaster of a season. He really has not been himself and often finds himself in foul trouble. Shaq is no longer consistent, often having difficulty producing his typical numbers of 20 points, 10 rebounds. Yes, the Diesel is running out of gas, and Wade is carrying the team.

This ultimately leads me to one question: Is small ball the future of the NBA?
To answer this question, I think we have to look at this season as a whole. What were the main highlights that defined this year of basketball?

1. Kobe Bryant: You have to be living underground if you have not heard his name this year. Bryant has perhaps his best season as a pro. He has had three amazing accomplishments this year. First, the playoff run. Under Kobe’s leadership, the Lakers were finally working as a team and were able to push the Suns to the brink. Though they did not finish the series out, it was an amazing accomplishment for the team that was just supposed to lose to the Suns easily. Remember, they were just the seventh seed. Second, Kobe’s 62 point game against the Dallas Mavericks. Sure, the number alone speaks for itself, but when you have more points than the opposing team after three quarters (62-61), you know you had a good game. Finally, Kobe’s 81 point game against the Toronto Raptors. Initially, you would probably say, “It’s the Raptors,” but the Lakers were down by about 20 at the half before Kobe went insane. As a result, what makes this game special is that Kobe has transcended from being one of the NBA all-stars to one of the NBA greats.
2. Lebron James: Lebron has had his best year as a pro, having made it to the playoffs after two unsuccessful attempts. Besides this, he was awarded the MVP award for the All-Star Game, and he is only 21. He could have won the MVP award for the season as well, but he finished second behind Steve Nash. Wait a minute…SECOND? Yes, that is right. The accomplishment that defined his season was his triple-double performance in Game 5 against the Pistons which led to a 3-2 Cavaliers lead in the series. Like Kobe, Lebron did not finish the series out, but he made many people’s heads turn this season. He was definitely the athlete who made the most buzz following Kobe Bryant.
3. The Detroit Pistons: 64-18. That probably says it all right there. Prior to Kobe’s 81 point game, the Pistons were on pace to beat the Chicago Bulls 72-10 season record. The buzz came with only twenty games in. Though the Pistons were close, this shows that center-focused teams took the back seat against alternative styles of play.
4. Dirk Nowitzski: Definitely not as outspoken as the other guys on this list, Dirk had a career year. Not only did he finish third for the MVP award, he finally ousted the San Antonio Spurs, the team that has been the thorn in the team’s side for the last few years. In doing so, he has made the Mavericks the favorite heading into the NBA finals. No longer do people think the Mavericks are just a soft team incapable of playing interior defense. They have made it apparent (to them at least) that team small ball will rule the day.

Team play, guards, and forwards made news this year while big men did not. We talked about how Nash led his team to another Pacific Division title without (guess who, their center Amare Stoudemire) and the new and improved Mavericks. We talked about Nash, Kobe, Lebron, and Dirk. However, we did not talk about Kevin Garnett who missed the playoffs, the Diesel who is slowing down, and Tim Duncan who actually lost in the playoffs.

These Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns are destroying an infrastructure that has been in place ever since Michael Jordan left. After his second retirement, the Spurs and Lakers won championships for the next five years, ushering in an era of big men with the next generation being players like Yao Ming and Pau Gasol. The Pistons foreshadowed things to come with their victory over the Lakers, but order was reinstated when they lost to the Spurs the following year. Now, the Suns and Mavericks are taking the NBA in a new generation having beaten the Spurs, Lakers, Clippers, and Grizzlies, the center focused teams. They can seal the deal if they can beat one of the forerunners of this center generation, Shaquille O’Neal. Yes, not only is there a renaissance of players occurring but a renaissance of basketball.