Z-Bo Not in Dallas, motherfuckers!
Might as well cancel the rest of the playoffs because this is the year of the Dallas Maverick. It's an empty net.
Mavericks fans pretty much have the next opponent -- Oklahoma City or Memphis -- beaten and the Finals are a mere formality toward Dirk Nowitzki being officially named the greatest basketball player in the history of our lifetime.
The same city that announced a parade route before the 2006 Finals. The same city that roots for the Dallas Cowboys.
I'm prepared to rain on everyone's parade. There is little doubt the Mavericks have exceeded expectations. However, the adrenaline that accumulates after sweeping the hated Los Angeles Lakers is skewing our vision. Our hyperbole for Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki has run out. Instead, we are left with extolling Brendan Haywood and J.J. Barea (whose contributions in the Lakers series have been widely misconstrued).
Here are three reasons why the Mavericks will lose to the Thunder and Grizzlies:
Oklahoma City Thunder
Russell Westbrook
I love that Dallas fans ignored the Trailblazers' success in the regular season, but are quick to point out that Westbrook scored a mere 43 points in the three Dallas-OKC match-ups. The Mavericks don't have someone that can guard him at point guard. If he wants, he'll go for 30 per.
Kevin Durant
I've stated it before: The NBA Playoffs are generally built (basketball in general is, anyway) for the best player on a particular team. Durant is pure superstar, who can get any number of shots from any number of spots around the court. Unlike Kobe, Durant has a bit more faith in his guys to back him up, so putting up ill-advised jumper after jumper is not his game. Durant is the best player in this series.
Match-Ups
The general consensus is that the Mavericks fandom would rather play the Thunder. Frankly, I didn't want any part of Memphis, OKC or Portland. All three presented some scary match-ups. Ironically, the opposite was true for the Lakers. I think the Thunder present some mismatches on offense. I think the same is true of the defense. Serge Ibaka is more than capable of giving Dirk Nowitzki trouble. Not that he will and maybe Dirk goes for 35 a game. I also think the Thunder have the speed to get after the Mavericks' point guards. I just don't see a strength of Dallas' that the Thunder can't potentially counter against.
Memphis Grizzlies
Zach Randolph
One of the more underreported stories in the NBA this season. Randolph's completely (we assume) changed his life and attitude and promptly becoming one of the scariest players in the league. A man with size and a game that can almost go anywhere on the court, he gives the Mavs' fits. He's not unlike probably a number of other players in the league. But he lights up the Mavericks. This season, he shot 61 percent against the Mavericks averaging a strong 24 points and 12 rebounds per game. For his career, he's a 20 and 10 guy against the Mavericks. He's an animal that I don't think the Mavs have a great defender to put on him.
Just Don't Know Any Better
The Grizz are the buzzsaw of the 2011 playoffs. The Mavericks have been the buzzsaw before. It's never pretty for those getting cut down. The Grizz are a group of young, mean, lean and ornery black dudes. Historically, these kind of players do not roll up to the Mavericks with fear in their hearts.
Because It Can't Get Any Better
As I said Monday, the Mavericks aren't hitting 20 three-pointers again in a game. Dirk Nowitzki, if teams are smart, isn't being left alone at the elbow. J.J. Barea won't scoot around the court at will. There's a solid chance that the Mavericks have peaked at a certain level and the 8-20 nights from Jason Terry could happen at any moment. It's going to happen. The question is "When?" and "Will the Mavericks have an answer?"
