{"id":121953,"date":"2025-09-05T14:11:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T14:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/121953\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T14:11:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T14:11:08","slug":"dwyane-wades-belief-on-what-couldve-changed-2011-nba-finals-vs-mavericks-is-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/121953\/","title":{"rendered":"Dwyane Wade’s belief on what could’ve changed 2011 NBA Finals vs. Mavericks is wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dwyane Wade and Mark Cuban have taken shots at each other this week, talking about the 2006 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks<\/a> and Miami Heat. Cuban swears they were rigged, and Wade doesn’t want his work to be discredited. <\/p>\n

This has also brought up a conversation about the 2011 NBA Finals, where Dirk Nowitzki finally avenged his loss, got his championship, and the Heat’s Big Three, specifically LeBron James, came up short. Wade talked about that series on the Wy Network, and two players who could’ve made a bigger difference if given a chance. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re talking about a battle-tested team [Dallas], not just that year, the previous years,” Wade started. “You\u2019re talking about a Heat team that just got together. And I know it\u2019s going to be controversy on the Big Three, I don\u2019t feel like we did a good job. And when I say we, I\u2019m talking about the entire team of using and maximizing our role players the way that we should.<\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Feb 13, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) laugh while waiting to enter the game during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images \/ Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Former NBA All-Star isn’t buying ‘generational’ talk for Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe had some guys that could have helped us, but we didn\u2019t utilize them the right way. We had some guys over there. We had Mike Bibby, we had Eddie House. We had some guys on that team that could have made big shots, who could have did things for us, but we didn\u2019t maximize our bench like they maximized. They have Brian Cardinal come off the bench, taking charges. He changed the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd a lot of it is on the Big Three. A lot of it is on our coaching staff as well, not on our role players, not at all, but we wasn\u2019t prepared, and wasn\u2019t ready. They were, and let\u2019s not forget, Spo was not the [Erik] Spoelstra he is now, but Rick Carlisle was Rick Carlisle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those Mavericks were a veteran team, but calling them “battle-tested” may be pushing it. Tyson Chandler had just been acquired that season, Shawn Marion came in the season before, and Caron Butler had torn his ACL midway through the season. The team didn’t have a lot of postseason experience together as a team. <\/p>\n

That series comes down to LeBron James only averaging 17.8 PPG in that series. He simply wasn’t good enough, and the team around Nowitzki stepped up as he battled illness and a torn ligament in his finger, but still played well overall. Eddie House and Mike Bibby weren’t going to make that big a difference. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: Mavericks lose promising forward to Grizzlies, here\u2019s why it’s not a surprise<\/a><\/p>\n

Stick with\u00a0MavericksGameday\u00a0for more\u00a0FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>\u00a0throughout the offseason<\/p>\n

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