I walked to my window yesterday evening and stuck my head out to see if Eric Dampier could be heard laughing all the way down in Dallas. After the verbal abuse he's taken from Shaq in the media - and by everyone else, really - he had to find Shaq's line in Game Two amusing. Five points. Six rebounds. Funny, indeed.
It's amazing how fast your perceptions can change. It was only a few days ago that the Heat had a legendary coach, two Hall of Fame players, a supporting cast doing its thing, and a mojo that was running as smoothly as it had all season. They were hot.
And now? Well, now they looke like an ancient Shaq, an outmanned Dwyane Wade, and a bunch of guys who are, now that you think about it, not really all that great.
Dead in the water the Heat would appear to be. Avery Johnson is pulling all the right strings and Dirk Nowitzki, who is always compared to Larry Bird as much for his shaggy hir and pale skin as his game, looks ready to add one more similirity to Bird to his resume: a championship ring. It would seem inevitable at this point.
Of course, as easy as it is to jude a series after two games, you can never truly tell until it shifts back to the other city. The Heat needs a couple of games in Miami before being completely written off. But if this series makes it back to Dallas, color me surprised.
