This one. Dallas might win 4-0. A sweep. We are the better team, featuring the better more robust system, and by far the best player. I believe that the Mavs will come right of the start and wear them down, and will place the pressure on the GSW immediately to try to adjust their schemes. I dont see Luka calming down for a single play, and will attack right away.
Luka always plays magical against GSW. This does mean something in sports psychology. Another thing is that the team got that sense now of urgency and confidence to do well away against a non friendly crowd. This could translate well immediately and to silence that crowd as soon as from game 1. They don't have that big that can disturb Luka enough inside. If they opt for switching strategy, it will be ton of alley oops to Powell. If they chose to fight through the screens they dont have that guy that can do that and cover Luka well enough. On other side if they dont fight through it and let Green take on Luka after pick and roll, they will not be able to stop Powell. Powell will feature alot alot more in this series. Suns chose to back down with Ayton and cover Powell/rim, and Luka has learned to exploit this as the series progressed and adjusted with more attacking the rim and more mid range game. GSW will approach this in completely different manner and let Green take on Luka initially after the pick and roll is set, and then Luka will naturally involve Powell. GSW will then try readjusting as we go through the series, but the experience Luka gained from Suns series with a Center that backs down and focuses on Powell, will gain him the knowledge how to deal with this later adjustments from GSW. They will also try to get help inside from perimeter, but Luka will pick that apart for finding the open guy. And here the key will be the shooting from our team. This is hard to predict, but the team is shooting well in these open situations at this very moment, so this doesn't look as a viable strategy for the GSW.
On other end of the floor, Dallas has been amazing on defense and defending the 3. Warriors dont have that big that can make us switch that strategy and reshape our defensive tactics. In fact in many ways, the way they play is playing in favour of our defensive strategy.
I see Mavs as the clearly more physical team playing better defense, and having an offensive system that GSW will have hard time stopping.
Klay Thompson did play excellent D and did disturb Luka early in his career, he couldnt stop Luka, but he did had some plays and sequenves in my memory where he did managed to disturb him. This season in games against GSW he wasnt able to disturb Luka in any way, and he is probably not the defender he used to be. Green can make some great D inside, but he is not a Gobert, and even with Gobert, Luka got the best out in the lane many times and outside. He can get the shot over Green, and if on perimeter he will be able to drive on Green with ease. Thompson is the only one Ive seen from GSW that was able to have that combination of both able to disturb Luka at perimeter and inside, but all of that is not from this season, and even then Luka got plenty of points.
I do think that Suns are the clearly better team than the GSW are. I see this matchup as working more in our favour than the Suns one. GSW has experience, but many of their new players, do not. The ones that do, are clearly declining. I see also our coaching as advantage. To me this all speaks to Dallas will win with ease and GSW will be the team that will need to constantly adjust to Mavs, but I dont see they have it what needs to be done. It may be 4-1 or 4-0, but I'm sensing that either way, Dallas will win with a huge statement.
Heat are the team left that defensively have some concepts and extreme well timed and executed switching ability, that might give trouble to our offensive schemes. They have the ability to double Luka, and still compensate with switching to neutralize the disadvantage. A lot more all around defense. Luckely we can also match them well with defense. But this would be a matchup, as the Suns, I would fear. Still Impressed how Mavs adjusted throughout, and to an extent where Suns couldnt make a single mid range shot, which otherwise was their key weapon. Truly impressive.
Luka always plays magical against GSW. This does mean something in sports psychology. Another thing is that the team got that sense now of urgency and confidence to do well away against a non friendly crowd. This could translate well immediately and to silence that crowd as soon as from game 1. They don't have that big that can disturb Luka enough inside. If they opt for switching strategy, it will be ton of alley oops to Powell. If they chose to fight through the screens they dont have that guy that can do that and cover Luka well enough. On other side if they dont fight through it and let Green take on Luka after pick and roll, they will not be able to stop Powell. Powell will feature alot alot more in this series. Suns chose to back down with Ayton and cover Powell/rim, and Luka has learned to exploit this as the series progressed and adjusted with more attacking the rim and more mid range game. GSW will approach this in completely different manner and let Green take on Luka initially after the pick and roll is set, and then Luka will naturally involve Powell. GSW will then try readjusting as we go through the series, but the experience Luka gained from Suns series with a Center that backs down and focuses on Powell, will gain him the knowledge how to deal with this later adjustments from GSW. They will also try to get help inside from perimeter, but Luka will pick that apart for finding the open guy. And here the key will be the shooting from our team. This is hard to predict, but the team is shooting well in these open situations at this very moment, so this doesn't look as a viable strategy for the GSW.
On other end of the floor, Dallas has been amazing on defense and defending the 3. Warriors dont have that big that can make us switch that strategy and reshape our defensive tactics. In fact in many ways, the way they play is playing in favour of our defensive strategy.
I see Mavs as the clearly more physical team playing better defense, and having an offensive system that GSW will have hard time stopping.
Klay Thompson did play excellent D and did disturb Luka early in his career, he couldnt stop Luka, but he did had some plays and sequenves in my memory where he did managed to disturb him. This season in games against GSW he wasnt able to disturb Luka in any way, and he is probably not the defender he used to be. Green can make some great D inside, but he is not a Gobert, and even with Gobert, Luka got the best out in the lane many times and outside. He can get the shot over Green, and if on perimeter he will be able to drive on Green with ease. Thompson is the only one Ive seen from GSW that was able to have that combination of both able to disturb Luka at perimeter and inside, but all of that is not from this season, and even then Luka got plenty of points.
I do think that Suns are the clearly better team than the GSW are. I see this matchup as working more in our favour than the Suns one. GSW has experience, but many of their new players, do not. The ones that do, are clearly declining. I see also our coaching as advantage. To me this all speaks to Dallas will win with ease and GSW will be the team that will need to constantly adjust to Mavs, but I dont see they have it what needs to be done. It may be 4-1 or 4-0, but I'm sensing that either way, Dallas will win with a huge statement.
Heat are the team left that defensively have some concepts and extreme well timed and executed switching ability, that might give trouble to our offensive schemes. They have the ability to double Luka, and still compensate with switching to neutralize the disadvantage. A lot more all around defense. Luckely we can also match them well with defense. But this would be a matchup, as the Suns, I would fear. Still Impressed how Mavs adjusted throughout, and to an extent where Suns couldnt make a single mid range shot, which otherwise was their key weapon. Truly impressive.
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