2011 NBA Finals Preview Game 1 : Dallas Mavericks at Miami Heat :: Head, Heart, Or Karma?

Instead of watching two storied franchises which seemed to have had innate, perhaps unfair, personnel advantages over various dynasties of time, we have two teams which seem to be reflecting an era of basketball while at the same time possibly ushering in a new era, with the Lockout looming and strongly indicating a change to the business of basketball as we know it.

You have the "uber-owner" in Mark Cuban, who some like Phil Jackson have said is

buying his way to a championship, using savvy and years of experience mastering roster movement in the NBA to build a veteran, complete team, each player ready to fit into his role. And you have the "Superfriends" squad, the penultimate AAU team, perhaps the most athletic trio ever to put on basketball shoes, surrounding itself with willing and capable teammates ready to sacrifice personal achievements to be led by them.

As the elimination of both the Lakers and Celtics might signal the end of GMs "getting duped" into providing the last piece of a Big Three, will the winner of this series suggest the beginning or end of that particular model of roster construction?