With the 2011-12 season in the books, and the championship residing in South Beach, the focus turns to the 2012-13 season.
Who is the favorite to win it all next season? Vegas has its idea.
Odds to win 2013 NBA Championship Miami Heat 11/4, OKC Thunder 5/1, Bulls 6/1, LA Lakers 10/1, Spurs 10/1, Mavericks 14/1 - from Bovada
— Surya Fernandez (@SuryaHeatNBA) June 22, 2012
Vegas is expecting a rematch between the Heat and Thunder in the 2013 NBA Finals. The last time two teams met in back-to-back finals came in 1997-98, when the Bulls defeated the Jazz both times.
At 14/1, the Mavs are the sixth-most likely team to win it all, and the fourth-most in the Western Conference. While the Lakers, Spurs and Mavs are dealing with some aging stars, the Thunder are coming off a year where they used the youngest NBA Finals starting lineup in 35 years, so it's easy to see why OKC is the top pick out of the West.
However, the always-exciting free agency has yet to begin. As we know with the NBA, one or two signings can change the landscape of the league.
Read more about the Mavericks at Mavs Moneyball.