(03-30-2022, 10:00 AM)Jommybone Wrote: [ -> ]You’ve posted a few times now that you’d prefer Utah. Please explain. They seem like the toughest potential matchup to me. Denver and Golden State are hobbled by injuries. Memphis and Minny are young. Utah is experienced, star-studded, physical, and really dangerous from deep. Plus the altitude.
I'm not sure that I've ever posted about wanting Utah, before that post you're referencing. But in the playoffs, particularly round 1, I'd prefer having the best player on the court. Luka is better than any Utah player but may not be better than the Joker. Plus Utah has a terrible track record in the postseason and has been pretty average to bad the last few weeks. Both teams can beat the Mavs, I just prefer Utah...
Yeah I'm more concerned about getting the 3rd seed than what the matchup would be, but Denver is the team I most want to avoid out of those 3
I just feel like our defense is geared more towards stopping guards and wings so I find it a bit worrying that they have the best player in the game who just happens to be a big
I really love the optimism here, everybody thinking about the 2nd round matchups and so on, but let's first get out of the first round. Whoever the Mavs get in the first round, it won't be an easy matchup, heck I would have them as the team that is most likely to lose the HCA...
As fat as the opponents go, I would prefer Utah. We have seen Gobert struggle with smaller lineups in the past postseasons, also the Gobert-Mitchell chemistry is a big factor here IMO. The Mavs would have the best player in the series and as we all have seen in the previous PO, that's a huge factor.
And that is the reason why I am afraid of Denver.I know they are hobbled with injuries, but Jokic is enough to scare me.
Mavs could end up with the third best record in the league. As much as we try to tweek the team for the future (as we should) we need to appreciate what this team is doing now.
(03-30-2022, 10:00 AM)Jommybone Wrote: [ -> ]You’ve posted a few times now that you’d prefer Utah. Please explain. They seem like the toughest potential matchup to me. Denver and Golden State are hobbled by injuries. Memphis and Minny are young. Utah is experienced, star-studded, physical, and really dangerous from deep. Plus the altitude.
Things can change of course, but right now the Jazz look like a team that's imploding and ready to be done with each other. Denver obviously has serious injury issues but they've still got Jokic and they don't seem to hate each other.
(03-30-2022, 09:14 PM)Branduil Wrote: [ -> ]Things can change of course, but right now the Jazz look like a team that's imploding and ready to be done with each other.
This. The Jazz, as we have known them in recent years, seem done to me. Ainge was brought in to make major changes.
Plus, they have no one remotely qualified to defend Luka at all. They're not the worst team of the top 8-10, but I think they're the best matchup for the Mavs.
But it's whatever, at this point. The goal shouldn't be to get a specific matchup in the first round, it should be avoiding PHX in the second.
(03-30-2022, 09:17 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: [ -> ]This. The Jazz, as we have known them in recent years, seem done to me. Ainge was brought in to make major changes.
Plus, they have no one remotely qualified to defend Luka at all. They're not the worst team of the top 8-10, but I think they're the best matchup for the Mavs.
But it's whatever, at this point. The goal shouldn't be to get a specific matchup in the first round, it should be avoiding PHX in the second.
Really, the goal is to get the highest seed they can. Missing the Suns is merely the biggest benefit of that.
Mavs should be favored heavily in every remaining game except @Milwaukee. 4-1 would clinch the 3rd seed for sure.
(03-31-2022, 12:38 AM)Branduil Wrote: [ -> ]Mavs should be favored heavily in every remaining game except @Milwaukee. 4-1 would clinch the 3rd seed for sure.
Not if Golden State goes 5-0 (and Golden State will be favored in ALL FIVE of their remaining games).
https://www.tankathon.com/remaining_schedule_strength
Remaining schedule for DAL and GSW: