New York, New York! Bringing a championship home

[zike_42]

2025 NBA Finals

#1 New Orleans vs. #1 Dallas

In the two games we played the Hornets in the regular season we lost by a combined total of 10 points. So yeah, not only is this in epic battle but we feel pretty damn good that we can do this. This kind of feels like the Lakers/Celtics battles from the 80s, as this series will be the fourth time these two have battle for the eternal glory in five years.

Point Guard
Lewis Vines vs. Matt Brown
15.0 points, 8.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds vs. 13.2 points, 16.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds

The Playoff Warrior has stepped up a notch this post season, averaging ridiculous numbers while locking down arguably the two best PGs in the league. If he can do it again against the good but not great Vines it will be a win for the Mavericks.

Winner - Dallas

Shooting Guard
Hillar Petrauskas vs. Jacob Alexander
16.3 points, 7.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds vs. 24.3 points, 2.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds

What a wonderful player Hillar has become. Not only is he a great all around player his defence is top notch and in the top five in steals. At only 6’3” he might have some trouble guarding the taller Alexander but this will be a great battle. Whoever wins this battle can swing the momentum.

Winner - Draw

Small Forward
Bryan Plowman vs. Sean Gilmore
14.3 points, 1.9 assists, 7.9 rebounds vs. 12.9 points, 2.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds

This is very much the fifth starter battle for both teams. Plowman has been great these playoffs but his shooting has been down to just above 40% which will need to improve. Gilmore has come from the bench last season to being a great replacement for Kevin Durant. Sure he might not be anywhere near as good as Durant but his quick bursts of scoring and above average defence is a good substitute.

Winner - Draw

Power Forward
Anthony Davis vs. Marcus Randle
18.7 points, 1.9 assists, 8.9 rebounds vs. 23.5 points, 1.2 assists, 10.8 rebounds

Last Finals series Anthony Davis completely demoralized Randle, so much that Randle reportedly had nightmares for weeks afterwards. It was only because Kevin Durant was on such a tear that the Mavericks won the title. Randle is a year older and unbelievably pumped to get revenge on the four time most valuable player.

Winner – New Orleans

Centre
Bill Mallet vs. Andre Drummond
10.5 points, 0.8 assists, 6.9 rebounds vs. 21.5 points, 1.2 assists, 8.2 rebounds

This match-up last year was a win for the Mavericks as Mallet is 6’8”, 246lbs while Drummond is a human Adonis. Mallet might get some quick jabs in but shouldn’t last the whole round.

Winner - Dallas

Bench
Bill Gearhart, Chad Carney, Aleksandras Gelezinkelio vs. Iman Shumpert, Joe Duggins, Ricardo Marquardt

It’s strange to see Gearhart coming off the bench as he has been so instrumental in previous Hornets wins while Carney and “Aleks” are young but valuable. Aleks is averaging 12.7 points and 5.2 rebounds on 56% shooting for the Hornets, making him a prized asset. Without Tristan Thompson the Mavericks’ bench stocks aren’t as good as they have been but Shumpert and especially Duggins have been amazing so far.

Winner – Draw

Prediction – Dallas in six. It’s always foolish to put all the pressure on one match-up but the Davis/Randle battle could very well decide the outcome.

These two teams are so accustomed to playing each other in the NBA Finals that I heard that opposing fans made plans to meet up again this season at the end of the last series a whole year ago. Talk about predictable. There were also a few Hornets jerseys in the crowd in game one but they were in the vast minority.

The team was pumped, the crowd was pumped and I was especially pumped to add another ring to my collection. The game started well as we got out to a seven point lead in the first quarter, mainly due to our starters. However, things changed when we main guys needed a breather as New Orleans bounced back to get within five point. After that it was a Mavericks party, as we won the last two quarter handsomely to take first blood 119-97. Sean Gilmore led the way with 29 points and 7 rebounds but it was Marcus Randle who shone the brightest, scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds but also limiting Anthony Davis to only 18 minutes of court time before fouling out. Andre Drummond and Jacob Alexander both finished with 24 points but Alexander had more rebounds somehow (eight to six) while Matt Brown added 21 assists. I wasn’t kidding about our bench, as they all combined for only 10 points for the whole game, compared to New Orleans’ 30 bench points. Hillar Petrauskas led the way for the losers with 24 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds but needed 22 shots to get time. Anthony Davis finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks and six fouls.

Dallas leads 1-0

We always knew that the Hornets would roar back at us and that’s what they did. Winning the first three quarters by at least seven points even a spirited fight back in the last term couldn’t stop them stealing home court advantage away from us, 128-113. Anthony Davis again was in foul trouble but still ended up with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. It was their bench that won it for them, with Aleks (I’m not writing his full name out every time) going 8/11 for 21 points and Bill Gearhart showing he still has it with 18 points to lead the second unit. Marcus Randle took it to Davis with 20 points and 11 rebounds but Sean Gilmore, Jacob Alexander and Matt Brown were all hampered by fouls as there were 57 fouls called for the game.

Series tied 1-1

The Hornets’ fans are frothing at the mouth get back that trophy that we apparently stole from them last season, and with the game two win it’s pretty much bedlam already. It was a great battle between Anthony Davis (28 points, 13 rebounds) and Marcus Randle (21 points, 12 rebounds) again but the biggest win was the backcourt. Matt Brown had 23 points and 9 assists while Jacob Alexander fouled out in all of 10 minutes as Lewis Vines notched an amazing Finals triple double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists and Hillar was nearly with him with 26 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds as the Hornets take the series lead with a 114-103 wire-to-wire win. Again we fouled too much with a 31-21 foul count but this time it wasn’t rigged like I always say, we just couldn’t stop them without fouling.

New Orleans leads 2-1

Game four was a win or else kind of game as the Hornets have three consecutive home games because of the 2-3-2 Finals format. It didn’t help that it was Matt Brown’s turn to foul out in less time than it takes a kettle to boil, going out of the game in only 19 minutes. I would say that this is the end of us but a man called Iman Shumpert strode in and saved the day, all without taking a shot. That’s right, Shump went 0/0 from the field for 2 points and 9 assists and held Lewis Vines to 4/12 shooting as we finally got a first quarter lead to tie the series 114-97. Andre Drummond snapped out of his funk with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Marcus Randle got the upper hand on his epic battle with 18 points and 13 rebounds compared to Anthony Davis’ 15 points and 11 rebounds. However, all the players should bow down to the ‘fifth starter’ in Sean Gilmore who had 22 points and 9 rebounds to lead the way. Bill Mallet piped up for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks but the team shot 38% from the field.

Series tied 2-2

Now it was the Hornets turn to feel the ‘win or else’ pressure as we had home court advantage again. And through the first three quarters it was a really, really tight game with 31 lead changes and 13 ties. Lewis Vines struck back with 20 points but was outdone by Matt Brown’s 16 points and 18 assists. Anthony Davis had a quiet night with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks but kept Marcus Randle to 5/14 shooting for 17 points and 12 rebounds. Andre Drummond was also kept quiet with only 5 points and 13 rebounds on 2/11 shooting but Bill Mallet was even worse, shooting 4/19 from the field for 14 points and 10 rebounds. As you can see, the game was pretty damn even through three. That all changed in the final quarter as we blew open the game and the series with a 37-25 final stand to take us to the brink with a 110-98 win. And the man who orchestrated all of this? Sean Gilmore, again. He is relishing in this ‘fifth starter’ role and had 27 points and 9 rebounds to blow the game open.

Dallas leads 3-2

This is it, we’re ready. It couldn’t have got any more ideal. Game six, we don’t want to get to a game seven and it’s on our home court so the celebration will be massive if we win. IF we win. It started horribly, with Anthony Davis not ready to end his season as the Hornets broke out of the gate with a 26-18 first quarter lead and piled on to a double digit buffer at half time. Davis is a man possessed even if he didn’t have any support from his teammates. We fought back in the third with Andre Drummond and our latest star Sean Gilmore leading the way to cut it to a single basket at the final break. Anthony Davis already had a 20/20 game in his pocket and he wasn’t finished. The team was finished though as we scored the first 10 points of the term and it was party time! The benches were emptied as a massive cheer went up every time one of our starters got to sit down. The Hornets came back a little but it wasn’t enough as we won the game 105-92 and won our second championship! Andre Drummond was our best with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks while Sean Gilmore scored 24 points to show everyone what a fifth starter can do. Anthony Davis was distraught, as his 29 point, 24 rebound, 8 block and 5 steal game was all for nothing as the team shot 35% from the field.

Dallas wins 4-2

IT’S PARTY TIME! The crowd is even louder this time as not many people thought we could back it up after trading away Kevin Durant and Jake Chase for cap space so to see this team as the best squad in the world is amazing. I race down to a huge hug from Andre Drummond who was yelling in my ear about how he can’t hold all of his rings on one hand now after winning three with Detroit and now three with us. The photo of the NBA Finals was of Anthony Davis and Marcus Randle shaking hands with the streamers exploding in the background. This match-up was one for the ages and will be shown in documentaries for years to come and just goes to show how much of a great guy Davis really is. Sean Gilmore won the Finals MVP award to a deafening scream from the crowd, averaging 22 points and 7 rebounds per game.

After the pandemonium dies down I look around for Mr English to have a celebratory drink with him but he was nowhere to be found. Thirty seconds later I turn on the television and my heart stopped...

[OzzieLaker]

I want more.

[zike_42]

I want more.

Don't worry, there will be a pretty big update tomorrow, and then the next day should be the draft previews of all your prospects.

[AussieVilla]

Great job on the back-to-back, especially with the play of Gilmore and the big shoes he had to fill!

How did Durant and Chase go at their new team this season?

[PointGuard]

Good cliff hanger.

[Cleasby]

back to back..

where will the wizard go

[zike_42]

Great job on the back-to-back, especially with the play of Gilmore and the big shoes he had to fill!

How did Durant and Chase go at their new team this season?

Portland was second in the conference at 52-30 so the team did pretty well but those two had pretty average seasons. It didn't help that two of the best up and coming stars in Earl Oliver and Tiburcio Tommasini play in their positions.

Durant's stats - 15.7 points, 1.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 steal and 0.7 blocks per game starting at PF which just isn't his position.

Chase's stats - 12.2 points, 1.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.0 blocks starting at SG but only playing 25 minutes a game because they have Earl Oliver coming off the bench for some reason.

They are both in the wrong squad I think, especially Chase who at 31 years old can still average 20 points a game if he had proper minutes.

Cool thing about Durant is that he is the first ever player to score over 40,000 points in a career at 40,622. Lebron James will probably retire this season at 39,542 Durant will be far and away the highest scorer ever.

[zike_42]

Good cliff hanger.

Thanks PG, I'm not the best writer but I enjoy what I'm doing and hopefully that shows in what is on the virtual page.

[zike_42]

back to back..

where will the wizard go

Thanks. I'm not sure where the Wizard will go, it's going to be a pretty good draft I think, but I think anywhere from 3-8 for the man from England.

[zike_42]

The Dallas Mavericks are the fourth team to go back to back in the last 20 years, joining the team they just beat, the New Orleans Hornets in 2019/20, the Detroit Pistons in 2017/18 and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008/2009. What makes this championship team so incredible is that they did it without two of their best players in Kevin Durant and Jake Chase who got squeezed out of the team because of salary cap issues and their best bench player in Tristan Thompson who tore his ACL nineteen games into the season. Here are the guys who brought the magic back to the Big D.

#38 PF Tristan Thompson (Texas), 6’9”, 227lbs, 13 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 19 games, 0 starts, 15.2 minutes, 6.7 points, 0.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 1.8 blocks
Playoff Stats – DNP

After tearing his ACL only a quarter of the way through the regular season the Dallas hopefully secretly thought that their title defence was over. What they didn’t expect was Thompson to become a makeshift big man coach, helping Marcus Randle, Andre Drummond and Joe Duggins take their game to the next level. Don’t be surprised to see TT in a coaching job after he retires from playing.

#25 PG Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky), 6’1”, 192lbs, 14 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 27 games, 1 start, 8.2 minutes, 3.0 points, 1.2 assists, 1.3 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 1 game, 0 starts, 1.0 minute, 0.0 points, 0.0 assists, 0.0 rebounds, 0.0 steals, 0.0 blocks

Bledsoe has been on six NBA teams in his 14 year career but only when he came to Dallas he really started to enjoy himself. Playing with a winning team brought out the best in him, and even though he didn’t get as much court time as he used to he now has two championship rings to make him happy.

#24 SF Royce White (Iowa State), 6’8”, 261lbs, 12 year pro
Acquired by – Trade
Stats – 38 games, 2 starts, 7.2 minutes, 2.5 points, 0.8 assists, 1.4 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.3 blocks
Playoff Stats – 6 games, 0 starts, 4.5 minutes, 0.7 points, 0.7 assists, 1.0 rebound, 0.2 steals, 0.2 blocks

Another player that is on the downward slope of his career, his numbers are still great though. During the playoffs he averaged per 36 minutes five points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal and block per game. He is now 32 years old and won’t get any more minutes but being able to still bring it puffs his chest out a little bigger than usual.

#28 SF Paul George (Fresno State), 6’9”, 214lbs, 14 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 66 games, 2 starts, 8.7 minutes, 4.4 points, 0.6 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 16 games, 0 starts, 5.5 minutes, 1.5 points, 0.2 assists, 1.1 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks

For some reason George was Coach Garnett’s pet. Every time either Sean Gilmore or Jacob Alexander went down with an injury in came George to fill in. There was a running gag that Garnett was grooming George for a coaching role when he retired and this was a way to make sure that George stayed with the team.

#16 SF David Forney (UTEP), 6’6”, 205lbs, 7 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 77 games, 5 starts, 12.1 minutes, 5.8 points, 0.7 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 18 games, 1 start, 11.6 minutes, 4.8 points, 0.6 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 0.2 steals, 0.1 blocks

Forney was squeezed out of the line-up last playoffs but he dedicated himself for it not to happen again. Now that Sean Gilmore was starting at SF Forney had a role to play, the spark plug off the bench. He was amazing at it, coming in for no more than 15-20 minutes on a good day he was tasked with keeping the ball rolling, shown by his 21 points and 10 rebounds in a first round win over Seattle.

#9 PF Serge Ibaka (Congo), 6’10”, 220lbs, 15 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 65 games, 4 starts, 14.0 minutes, 5.0 points, 0.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 1.2 blocks
Playoff Stats – 12 games, 0 starts, 4.8 minutes, 1.0 point, 0.2 assists, 1.1 rebounds, 0.0 steals, 0.3 blocks

The oldest guy on the roster, Ibaka swallowed his pride and took a minimum contract for a contending team. He started slowly but ended by being the first PF off the bench, giving them much needed defensive presence when Drummond and Randle went off. He finally has his first ring, after trying so hard with OKC with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

#3 PG Ryan Robinson (California), 5’6”, 156lbs, 8 year pro
Acquired by – Trade
Stats – 78 games, 5 starts, 10.0 minutes, 6.0 points, 2.2 assists, 1.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 16 games, 0 starts, 5.4 minutes, 3.3 points, 1.1 assists, 0.7 rebounds, 0.3 steals, 0.1 blocks

The smallest player in the league today, Robinson plays like a certain other Robinson that was in the league not long ago. Nate Robinson was a bull, charging down the lane with reckless abandon. That could also be said for Ryan Robinson who had extremely quick feet and hands and is known to be a ball hawk when he is out there on the court.

#51 C Ricardo Marquardt (Cincinnati), 6’11”, 250lbs, 11 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 6 games, 0 starts, 24.5 minutes, 7.3 points, 0.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks
Playoff Stats – 14 games, 0 starts, 6.4 minutes, 2.4 points, 0.2 assists, 1.9 rebounds, 0.1 steals, 0.5 blocks

Brought aboard because the team needed a 15th man to rest their stars at the end of the season his numbers are extremely inflated. His impact in the playoffs wasn’t, as his calming head and vicious shot blocking caused many opposition players to alter their shots, creating misses.

#40 C Joe Duggins (Long Beach State), 6’11”, 255lbs, 4 year pro
Acquired by – Trade
Stats – 82 games, 6 starts, 19.4 minutes, 7.5 points, 0.9 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks
Playoff Stats – 19 games, 0 starts, 20.4 minutes, 7.8 points, 0.9 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks

Another year wiser and Duggins is an integral part of this team. Not only was he the first big man off the bench he was counted on in the playoffs, shown by his increase in minutes and other numbers. Don’t be surprised if he wants out of Dallas and into a starting position in the near future.

#6 SG Iman Shumpert (Georgia Tech), 6’5”, 222lbs, 13 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 82 games, 13 starts, 20.6 minutes, 9.0 points, 4.1 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 19 games, 0 starts, 18.2 minutes, 6.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 0.2 blocks

The elder statesman of this team, everyone looks up to Shump. His quick wit relates to his quick mind on the court, and his quick hands put it into motion. He was the best bench guard you could have (apart from Portland’s Earl Oliver, who should be starting) and should be a Maverick until he retires.

#2 SG Sean Gilmore (North Carolina), 6’7”, 203lbs, 5 year pro
Acquired by – Trade
Stats – 78 games, 74 starts, 32.0 minutes, 14.2 points, 1.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 18 games, 18 starts, 15.9 points, 1.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 0.1 blocks

The surprising but definitely deserving Finals MVP Gilmore has a great story. When he first came to Dallas he was nothing more than a bench warming prospect. But over the years he got better and better, with last year being their sixth man. With the removal of Kevin Durant Gilmore had a chance to fly and he was magnificent. He is on a great contract for the next three years so don’t expect him to go anywhere.

#18 SG Jacob Alexander (Washington), 6’8”, 202lbs, 4 year pro
Acquired by – Trade
Stats – 81 games, 77 starts, 31.0 minutes, 17.7 points, 1.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.1 blocks
Playoff Stats – 19 games, 19 starts, 36.3 minutes, 22.6 points, 2.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 0.4 blocks

With the departure of Jake Chase the Mavericks needed a scoring guard to hit jump shots with regularity. That man is Jacob Alexander, who came in from Charlotte and fitting in perfectly. He was 6’8” which GM McMillian loves and his defence was outstanding. He will be a free agent this off season so expect the Mavericks (and every other team with cap space) to make a good run at him.

#19 PG Matt Brown (Southern Illinois), 6’2”, 165lbs, 5 year pro
Acquired by – Draft
Stats – 80 games, 74 starts, 32.3 minutes, 11.7 points, 11.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 0.4 blocks
Playoff Stats – 19 games, 19 starts, 35.5 minutes, 12.7 points, 15.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 0.7 blocks

One of only two Mavericks players that were drafted by the team, Brown is simply sublime. His handle and control of the game is just superb, shown by his nearly 7:1 assist to turnover ratio in the playoffs. His contract is a steal and he absolutely loves it in Dallas. This is a match made in heaven for both sides.

#52 PF Marcus Randle (California), 6’8”, 253lbs, 4 year pro
Acquired by – Draft
Stats – 76 games, 76 starts, 32.5 minutes, 19.2 points, 1.2 assists, 9.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 0.3 blocks
Playoff Stats – 19 games, 19 starts, 35.2 minutes, 21.5 points, 1.3 assists, 11.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 0.3 blocks

The other Dallas player that was drafted here, Randle is a bonafide stud. At only 24 years old he is already a top five player in the league and the scary thing is that he hasn’t stopped growing yet. He may well be the heir apparent to Anthony Davis.

#1 C Andre Drummond [CAPTAIN] (Connecticut), 6’11”, 279lbs, 12 year pro
Acquired by – Free Agency
Stats – 76 games, 76 starts, 30.5 minutes, 18.7 points, 1.3 assists, 8.0 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 2.7 blocks
Playoff Stats – 19 games, 19 starts, 32.4 minutes, 20.5 points, 1.2 assists, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 2.4 blocks

The heart and soul of this Dallas Mavericks team. When Kevin Durant left, Drummond picked the team up and carried them across the finish line like all captains do. He is 31 years old so he still has some great years ahead of him before time catches up with him.

Coach – Kevin Garnett, 47 years old, eighth year with Dallas, 143-21 overall record, third championship

It may not have been as good as last season but it still had the same result. It may be only two seasons but Kevin Garnett has the best winning percentage of any coach ever at .872. Can he continue this fine form next season? Everything points to yes.

First Assistant – Luke Battier, 51 years old, second year with Dallas, second championship
Second Assistant – Glendon Woni, 54 years old, eighth year with Dallas, third championship
Third Assistant – Mike McDade, 36 years old, second year with Dallas, second championship
General Manager – Yaxley McMillan, 45 years old, sixth year with Dallas, fourth championship