From Dennis Velasco,
Your Guide to Basketball.
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It's early but last year's Finals participants are already beginning to snipe at each other. The Palm Beach Post has Dwayne Wade needling Dallas Forward Dirk Nowtizki, "Dirk said that they gave us the championship last year...but he's the reason they lost the championship because he wasn't the leader he's supposed to be in the closing moments." (From SI.com} Is Wade out of line? More importantly, is he right?

Atma Brother #1: Well, I guess we know who's not in Dwyane Wades' T-Mobile 5 list. It's curious why D-Wade would make such a remark - he's a level-headed, humble guy (the anti-young Kobe) who's done a lot of great community work. Calling out Dirk seems really out of character for him.

Is he out of line? To the best of my knowledge Dwyane didn't clown Dirk's mama, so no, he's not out of line. Dwyane's just talking trash. This isn't recess time at kindergarten, this is hoops. Talking trash is part of the game - at least that's what Gary Payton taught me.

Is Wade right? Well, if leader means getting some of the most ridiculous foul calls we've seen since Air Jordan, then yes Dirk isn't that leader. But, if leader means carrying your team through a BRUTAL Western Conference playoff bracket and then still having the energy and heart to win two games in the Finals against a squad that featured a superstar in Dwyane Wade, who the refs frequently mistook for Michael Jordan, and the most dominant player in our generation in Shaq, then no.

It'll be a crime if the Mavs continue their regular season dominance and Dirk doesn't take home MVP honors. We are all Nowitnesses - including Dwyane Wade and his underachieving buddies in Miami.

Dave: The answer to both is "probably." Dirk didn't step up big when he was needed last year. But that was last year and this year looks mighty different. Dirk didn't say anything that the Heat wouldn't have said were the situations reversed. Plus, he talked about his own team's effort while Wade talked about the other guy's. But then I guess looking back on last season is a great temptation when the stark light of the current campaign reveals you limping into the last possible playoff seed in the weakest conference in the history of forever. Dwyane has to get his digs in while he can because he could be making these comments behind a desk in a suit for most of this year’s playoffs.

Matt: This type of snippiness reminds me of Chad Johnson from the NFL. Some people love it, others think it's an abomination. Trash talk is a part of the game and the media just wants to get in on it – isn't that what blogging is all about anyway – so they egg these guys on and run with it. The players probably could care less and since he's not insulting anything but his basketball ability, it's kosher.

He's half-right... the first half. Dirk and Dallas did give them the championship by not closing them out in Game 3 with that huge lead that would have put them up a virtually insurmountable 3-0. But it wasn't because the Kaiser wasn't being a leader; it was a combination of missing a game-tying free throw in the closing seconds coinciding with Wade himself dropping 12 points in the last six-plus minutes. Maybe he should have thrown that in there. I bet Bird would have.

Mike P: Honestly, I really could care less. Wade probably shouldn't have said what he said, and no, he isn't right. The Mavericks lost the championship because, as a group, they stopped playing and complained too much about outside factors. It wasn't just Dirk. Avery Johnson went on the radio to complain about the decision to suspend Jerry Stackhouse in Game 5, and Mark Cuban was as outspoken as ever.

But seriously, we're talking about events that happened nearly eight months ago. Why does this matter?

Mike S: Dwyane will pay for those comments when Dirk brings home the championship and MVP trophy this year, while Miami watches Toronto go further in the playoffs.

Ryan: How can someone be out of line for speaking the truth? I feel that Dirk and LeBron defer to their teammates in the fourth quarter too much. While I can see how they feel they are being selfless, those players are the franchise players for their teams and if you get the ball in the clutch you aren't expected to pass the rock - take the big shot to win a game! The fact that they are passing the ball in clutch situations means to me that they don't have the onions to make big shots late in games.

Tom: I'm sure Wade's shot is the result of the Mavs and Mark Cuban insinuating D-Wade gets preferential treatment beyond the normal superstar preferential treament from the refs. Is he right? Yes, to a certain extent. Dirk is a smart player, but I wouldn't call Dirk a natural leader. He seems like the type of guy that needs to go through the experience (in this case the NBA Finals) to learn what to expect and how you need to play. So I can agree with D-Wade that Dirk didn't provide the needed leadership last season, but that doesn't mean Dirk doesn't have it in him and won't apply the lessons learned from a tough experience to raise his game and team.

Nonsensical prediction time: Who wins the All-Star game, the MVP, and the dunk, 3-pointer, and skills competitions?

Atma Brother #1: All-Star Game - It's all about the Wessyde, Wessyde, Wessyde. MVP honors will go to Carmelo Anthony. This is the city of sin after all.

Dunk Contest - 'Nique, MJ, Dr. J, Vinsanity, and Kobe? This is going to be one of the greatest dunk contests of all time! Oh wait- they're just the judges?

Gerald Green should take home the honors and with the dunk title, the sensationalist Boston sports media, the clueless higher-ups in the Celtics organization (that means you Danny Ainge!), and their passionate, yet confused fan base will think they have the next Dominique, Michael, Julius, Vince, or Kobe in Celtic green. This will result in the sensationalist Boston sports media and the confused Celtic fan base clamoring for stud Paul Pierce to be traded by this year's February 22nd deadline. Pierce should only be so lucky if the clueless Ainge complies.

3-Point Shootout - Gilbert Arenas... but you're not a fool - are you?

Skills Competition - Dwyane Wade... he gets ALL the calls!