Mavs 24

[Cebrin]

First post in this area. I stay quiet, but honestly this team looks formidable.

Chance and skill make up a lot of pro sports. How do you feel about our Mavs?

Still have a key player returning

 

[darthseinfeld]

First post in this area. I stay quiet, but honestly this team looks formidable.

Chance and skill make up a lot of pro sports. How do you feel about our Mavs?

Still have a key player returning

2nd round is probably their ceiling. Maybe they could be OKC in a 7 games series, but I dont see them getting past Minnesota or Denver. LAC in the first round will be a dog fight for them

 

[DasTex]

Title is their ceiling
Best player on the planet is on their team, no matter what the MVP narrative is right now. (SGA....give me a break)

Two legit stars that can take over a game at any time.
Size, length and quickness that can defend and rebound.
Hopefully Lively is healed by the time round 1 starts.

Gafford/Lively combo is so big for this team.
PJ/DJJ can lock down with size
Green can be the pest

If THJ gets on a burner, this team is pretty much unstoppable. However, that probably isn't likely....but does happen.

Coaching could hold them back as Kidd makes some dumb mistakes.

 

[Cebrin]

2nd round is probably their ceiling. Maybe they could be OKC in a 7 games series, but I dont see them getting past Minnesota or Denver. LAC in the first round will be a dog fight for them

They beat Denver this season already. It just depends on which Mavs show up. The gritty ones on this run, or the one that gives up.

 

[Cebrin]

Title is their ceiling
Best player on the planet is on their team, no matter what the MVP narrative is right now. (SGA....give me a break)

Two legit stars that can take over a game at any time.
Size, length and quickness that can defend and rebound.
Hopefully Lively is healed by the time round 1 starts.

Gafford/Lively combo is so big for this team.
PJ/DJJ can lock down with size
Green can be the pest

If THJ gets on a burner, this team is pretty much unstoppable. However, that probably isn't likely....but does happen.

Coaching could hold them back as Kidd makes some dumb mistakes.

Lively will be back. Think he played some last night.

 

[darthseinfeld]

They beat Denver this season already. It just depends on which Mavs show up. The gritty ones on this run, or the one that gives up.

Regular season and playoffs are two completely different things. They will be hard pressed to go 6 with Denver in the playoffs

 

[jterrell]

Mavs are a really good team. The trades shifted who they are fundamentally and gave them in ability to play inside.
They are winning the boards nightly and dominating paint scoring.

Vegas gives them the 4th best odds to win the West.

Denver is a nasty match up for anyone. Jokic is good enough and flexible enough in role to make it tough. DEN has been lucky with health this year and if that continues, they will be tough to beat in the West.

MIN/OKC -- I think Dallas would win both matchups. Neither team has playoff chops or experience and lacks playstyle versatility for answers.

LAC -- Tough matchup because LAC has so much experience and so many savvy vets. And in 1st round where they are all still healthy.

My personal hope is to get Min in round 2 and OKC in round 3. I think if that happens DAL goes to the NBA Finals.
Dallas can bully OKC inside and versus Minny they can push the ball and shoot 3s.

 

[jterrell]

Regular season and playoffs are two completely different things. They will be hard pressed to go 6 with Denver in the playoffs

That is very unlikely.
DEN would and should be favored in the thin air, but no one in the West will have an easy time with Dallas.
This team is 18-2 over the last 20 (accepting last night's give up after they were locked into 5th and set the whole team in the 2nd half.)
And has the 2nd best record over the last 30; 22-8.
And the record is BECAUSE they have been playing playoff style basketball.
They are killing people on the boards and in the paint. The PJ/DJJ wing combo backed by shot blockers has made them insanely good on defense whereas they were flat awful last year.
No one wants to face this Mavs team as all the national shows are now mentioning.
The trade deadline and health transformed this team.

I do think the East will win the Finals because the East is mega trash outside the very top teams and will likely be very rested compared to the West. A Dallas team that made the finals would quite possibly be food because they would be worn down to a nub.

 

[Cebrin]

Regular season and playoffs are two completely different things. They will be hard pressed to go 6 with Denver in the playoffs

For the most part true, but the west has been an insane battle for positioning where every game counts.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Crazy what a year can do. Basically the same team that missed the play-in last year.

 

[Shane612]

Mavericks can beat any team, and they can lose to any team, in a 7 game series.
.
Their main supporting players, such as Gafford, Lively and Washington, don't have a lot of playoff experience, if any, that will hurt them.
Even Luka don't have a lot of playoff experience.

 

[Shane612]

They beat Denver this season already. It just depends on which Mavs show up. The gritty ones on this run, or the one that gives up.

With the players they acquired at the trade deadline they have a fighting chance.
But you are correct.
.
To me they're too streaky of a team to be over confident in the playoff.

 

[Cebrin]

Gritty win in LA last night.

 

[darthseinfeld]

With the players they acquired at the trade deadline they have a fighting chance.
But you are correct.
.
To me they're too streaky of a team to be over confident in the playoff.

Gafford was a good get for you guys. Lively reminds me alot of Robert Williams, but Timelord developed into a very smart defender over two years if 15 mpg bench play. I think Lively can turn out the same way

 

[Cebrin]

With the players they acquired at the trade deadline they have a fighting chance.
But you are correct.
.
To me they're too streaky of a team to be over confident in the playoff.

Rd 1 to Dallas owwwww.