Second round predictions

[omahen]

While we are still waiting for a final team to enter the second round, first game begins today. So, what do you think about the 3 series that are already known? We can update for the fourth one, after we know if Cle or Orl wins game 7. 

Den-Min: Champs are battling some nagging injuries while Minny looks stronger than ever. If Gobert is a true DPOY level player, he should at least limit Jokic. This might be a very tough and even series and it could go either way. Still, my bet is on the reigning champs, as long as Murray is able to play. Denver in 6

Pacers-Knicks: Two young and up and coming teams. NY showed they are huge fighters against Philly and Brunson became a true star, one of the best in the league. Indy on the other hand plays fast and their offense is difficult to stop. I think lack of depth will show for NY. Indy in 6

Dal-OKC: A more experienced team vs a young team that has nothing to lose. OKC had perhaps the easiest first round series and difficult to say who they really are. They have great shooters all around the roster and strategy to leave Giddey wide open might backfire these days as he was shooting it well lately. Mavs were playing their centers on Giddey in the two serious games between the two teams after all star break (last game has zero significance). Will they continue with the strategy or put centers on Chet? Luka wasn't great in series one but he showed his best play in the perhaps most difficult game 5. OKC plays fast and can punish every mistake on offense. Will Mavs be able to impose their type of play or OKC theirs. Will Mavs be able to punish physically weaker OKC guys or did they spend too much of energy against Clippers. I think it will be Mavs in 6 with a similar scenario as against Clippers. Teams will split both games in OKC and in Dallas, then Mavs win critical game 5 and finish with game 6. Luka will show he is a better player than SGA. At least for this season.

[The Jom]

Good thread. Nugs in 7. Knicks in 6. Mavs in 5. Celts in 4.

Minny is a very different challenge for the champs. That will be a physical series, even more so than the one we just finished last night. I’m expecting injuries and ejections.

NY’s leading man is generating revenue (and therefore favorable whistles) at an all-time rate. There’s real history in this rivalry too, which hasn’t been a thing since Reggie Miller laced em up. Will be fun. Anunoby outplays Siakim, wins the day, I suspect.

Mavs are a nightmare matchup for the undersized young guns from Indian Territory. Lively shooting 92% from the field against these suckers on the season. Mavs offense like knife through butter after struggles vs. chippy Clips.

Celts get better with injury to KP. Magic look like comers, Cavs like faders from my seat. But doesn’t matter either way. Celts embarrass either team as they cakewalk to finals.

[Scott41theMavs]

Good thread. Nugs in 7. Knicks in 6. Mavs in 5. Celts in 4.

Minny is a very different challenge for the champs. That will be a physical series, even more so than the one we just finished last night. I’m expecting injuries and ejections.

NY’s leading man is generating revenue (and therefore favorable whistles) at an all-time rate. There’s real history in this rivalry too, which hasn’t been a thing since Reggie Miller laced em up. Will be fun. Anunoby outplays Siakim, wins the day, I suspect.

Mavs are a nightmare matchup for the undersized young guns from Indian Territory. Lively shooting 92% from the field against these suckers on the season. Mavs offense like knife through butter after struggles vs. chippy Clips.

Celts get better with injury to KP. Magic look like comers, Cavs like faders from my seat. But doesn’t matter either way. Celts embarrass either team as they cakewalk to finals.

I concur with your predictions, except that I think it will take the Mavs 6 to beat OKC b/c 1) Luka's health, and 2) not having either Maxi *or* OMax. Note that not having THJ makes us better.

I would rank the remaining teams in the playoffs as follows:
8. Cavs or Magic (they fodder)
7. Pacers (the weakest of the seven more-or-less legit teams)
6. Knicks
5. Thunder
4. Mavs (due to Luka's health and depth issues)
3. Minnie
2. Nugs (although I would far rather face them than Minnie)
1. Boston (best four-man-deep core by a pretty big margin, although I believe the Mavs have the best two-man core if Luka is healthy)

[The Jom]

Good rankings, S41. Agree that the Minnies ain’t mouses. But I think it’s just the difficulty of matching up with them that makes them scary. And I think the top 3 teams (Denver, Boston, Dallas) all match up well (since our deadline trade).

If we’re ever going to be Maxiless, the Thunder is the team you’d want to face that way.

And as awful as Timmy has been since what, February? I can’t help but remember the many games he really showed out in during playoff runs in the past. True, it’s not half of the games. Probably not even a third. But if he makes his way back to health, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him put on a show at some point. That’s who he is. And it would be quite welcome.

[SleepingHero]

Well after last prediction thread, I went 5 for 8. I totally misread the Wolves and Bucks. If CLE wins then I was 6/8.

I won't rest on my laurels though. The 2nd round is much tougher to predict.

BOS/CLE: Welp after that blood bath that was CLE vs. ORL, they now get the prize of facing the Celtics. Even without Porzingis the Celtics are lethal. CLE looked horrible in the 1st round. Even with Allen they looked bad. It took monstrous games from Mitchell for them to have a chance. I expect another relatively easy round for the Celtics. But I wouldn't be shocked if Mitchell/Garland/Mobely found some mojo and make it a fight for a couple of games. BOS in 5

NYK/IND: This is going to be very interesting. 2 polar opposite teams in terms of play style but very similar in terms of roster construction. Both are led by an incredible PG in Haliburton and Brunson. Both have long wings that can defend and score in OG/Siakam. Both have versatile big men that are rim protectors. NYK is all about defense. IND is all about pushing the pace. To be fair I think IND had a helluva an easy series against MIL avoiding Giannis and Dame going down after game 3. NYK is battle tested. I think we may be seeing an easy NYK victory here. NYK in 5.

OKC/DAL: I am biased. Does it matter? No. This is also an interesting matchup. OKC is one of the smallest teams in the NBA. Outside of Chet, the only guy above 6'8 in their rotation is Giddey. This team is built to run N gun and rain threes on their opponents. Without Maxi this is going to be a supremely tough series. Dort is a fantastic defender against Luka. Jaylin Williams is one of the best 2-guards in the league today. But they also haven't really been tested thus far this playoffs. We have seen Chet get bodied by bigger guys. Size bothers OKC. Mavs miraculously still have 3 other centers even without Maxi. Mavs have to come out and punch OKC in the mouth. A lot of this series depends on if Luka is healthy and feeling up to it. There is no shot the Mavs can win if Luka plays a similar series like he did against the Clippers. But I believe in Luka. I believe in the Mavs. I hope this is Lively's coming outj party and he dunks all over Chet. Mavs in 6.

MIN/DEN- This is going to be a supremely fun series. Minny might be the only team that can matchup with Denver 1-5. Despite that, I don't see how they stop Jokic from doing Jokic things. If MPJ gets hot then Minny is in for a tough time. DEN has the personnel to stop ANT and play Gobert off the floor. I have to go with Denver's experience and just general clutch-ness here. I think this series will still be a blood bath. DEN in 7.

[Smitty]

If the Cavs win I go 8/8 on first round predictions. Let’s try it again for round 2.

BOS in 4 vs CLE/ORL
NYK in 5 vs IND

DAL in 6 vs OKC
DEN in 7 vs MIN

[The Jom]

Might take Denver 8 games. That was something.

[Scott41theMavs]

Minnesota are officially a major, major problem.

[DallasMaverick]

BOS in 5 vs CLE/ORL
IND in 7 vs NYK

DAL in 5 vs OKC
MIN in 7 vs DEN

[LukaMVP]

mavs will win the series against OKC but it will be tougher and longer than if we had a healthy kleber imho. i'd rather see some twin towers in lively and gafford than Powell returning to rotation. Having lively and gafford on court simultaneously would not be a major problem defensively as they're both quick enough. neither of them can shoot, that may be troublesome (Powell can't shoot either), but they can move the ball well. lively and gafford each deserve 30 plus minutes a game, and having both of them on court may be a solution to Minny's gobert-towns in WCF. nuggets starting 5 are solid but their bench was weakened by the departures of brown and Jeff green. nuggets and OKC both losing in second round would certainly help luka's mvp odds as well.

[TurkishMFFL]

Now that the it is confirmed, when are we going to see the specific thread for Mavs-Thunder series?

[Winter]

The Mavs will not be favored of course, and shouldn't be. Our bench now is missing Hardaway and Kleber. While Hardaway may be replaceable in a +/- sort of way, Kleber has a particular role that really changes our rotations. We probably have the weakest bench remaining of the playoff teams.

OKC in 6.
Minnie in 6
Knicks in 7
Boston in 6 CLE/ORL

[Scott41theMavs]

The Mavs will not be favored of course, and shouldn't be. Our bench now is missing Hardaway and Kleber. While Hardaway may be replaceable in a +/- sort of way, Kleber has a particular role that really changes our rotations. We probably have the weakest bench remaining of the playoff teams.

OKC in 6.
Minnie in 6
Knicks in 7
Boston in 6 CLE/ORL

I see what you did there.

[Smitty]

We probably have the weakest bench remaining of the playoff teams.

I’d take our bench over our Round 2 opponent.

Lively
Green
Exum
THJ

Jaylin Williams
Wallace
Joe
Wiggins

[Winter]

I’d take our bench over our Round 2 opponent.

Lively
Green
Exum
THJ

Jaylin Williams
Wallace
Joe
Wiggins

I dunno

Josh Green is averaging 5 points a game
Exum is averaging 2 points a game
Hardaway isn't playing.

[omahen]

I dunno

Josh Green is averaging 5 points a game
Exum is averaging 2 points a game
Hardaway isn't playing.

And all four Clippers guys are great three point shooters. All three guards/wings shoot ovr 40 % from three. Wallace is also an elite defender.

[SleepingHero]

Isiah Joe is an absolute sniper. I'm shocked another team hasn't thrown a lot of money/assets to pry him away from OKC yet

[Smitty]

I dunno

Josh Green is averaging 5 points a game
Exum is averaging 2 points a game
Hardaway isn't playing.

Oh so it’s ppg then.

Wallace is averaging 3 ppg
Joe is averaging 5 ppg
Wiggins is averaging 5 ppg
Williams is averaging 3 ppg

Regardless, my opinion is still the same. Lively over all of them make it a better bench unit to me.

[Winter]

Isiah Joe is an absolute sniper. I'm shocked another team hasn't thrown a lot of money/assets to pry him away from OKC yet

Agree about Isiah Joe. I'd rather not see him on the court.

Also, for better or worse, Tim Hardaway was taking shots in practice today (Sunday). At this point, I'm willing to hope the best version of Timmy shows up. We might actually need the points.

[GATA]

Good thread. Nugs in 7. Knicks in 6. Mavs in 5. Celts in 4.

Minny is a very different challenge for the champs. That will be a physical series, even more so than the one we just finished last night. I’m expecting injuries and ejections.

NY’s leading man is generating revenue (and therefore favorable whistles) at an all-time rate. There’s real history in this rivalry too, which hasn’t been a thing since Reggie Miller laced em up. Will be fun. Anunoby outplays Siakim, wins the day, I suspect.

Mavs are a nightmare matchup for the undersized young guns from Indian Territory. Lively shooting 92% from the field against these suckers on the season. Mavs offense like knife through butter after struggles vs. chippy Clips.

Celts get better with injury to KP. Magic look like comers, Cavs like faders from my seat. But doesn’t matter either way. Celts embarrass either team as they cakewalk to finals.

Celts are not better small