PLAYOFFS WCF: #3 GSW (4-1) vs #4 DAL (1-4)

[burekemde]

Homer till the end my brother. The Mavs have had a great season and are seriously playing with house money right now. Yes the Warriors are champions and all of that. But let's not forget that they nearly gave up a 3-1 lead to OKC a few years ago. I think this next game puts all of the pressure on GS. If they don't win this next game the doubts will start creeping in.

Luka is not the kind of player you want to get motivated. He's not like KD, Harden, or Westbrook. He has that killer instinct. That's why the Warriors came out fighting in game 3. That's also why they are being very respectful doing things like laughing with Luka, picking him up off the court. They don't want to poke the bear like the Suns did.

If I were Kidd I would put up a huge poster of Wiggins dunking on Luka in the locker room. My message would be that the Warriors love to move and cut. I would have guys sliding into the cutting lanes all over the court. You get them out of rhythm and they are done. Bump them. Get physical without fouling. Wear them down physically. Drive the paint. Two feet in the paint on every trip down the floor.

Great post Audio. I was also thinking about the super over agressive way Curry plays defense on our pick and roll and break it apart, and its been working and putting us off the rhythm. When Luka sees that next time, he should not wait as he does for the pick and roll to work, but instead go full-steam into  anticipating where Curry will try to break it, even before he breaks the pick and roll and just attempt the 3 point shot. He will get so many calls on Curry this way and make him stop doing that illegal defense on pick and roll.

As you mention, we need to get them out of their comfort zone and what they are doing. Some of these things are the way forward. We need to break them apart. If not, they will do that to us. We need to be a lot more physical and win these small IQ battles that they are winning now. But its very very close, because we have destroyed their base defense, then they switched to zone, in last game we are staring to uncover their zone defense. If that happens and we pick that apart, which IMO will happen, they will not even look as the same team any longer.

Mavs are winning this in game 7. Next game Luka will fully explode I believe, and we will see more things we have figured out about them. They surprised us with the zone defense. But after that I dont believe they have more to adapt scheme wise and further surprises, and they will be the team that is under pressure. Last game showed me they are out of surprises. They have shown what they got and we are the ones adapting well to all of it. If Mavs win next game, its back to Dallas in game 6, where we will see our role players just playing better,  and then game 7, and we all know that you dont want to play Luka in game 7. The next game is going to be the toughest one mentally. Its away court and the furthest from the exit tunnel which is the win in game 7. But if we win the next game, and I strongly think we will, then all the momentum is on Dallas side. We get home with momentum, and we know as well as everyone else and even the GSW team that game 7 we will not lose that one. Key is the next game, this is the true win or lose game, the winner takes it all there in game 5.