Only two teams remain in the Western Conference. Both of them have put on surreal basketball performances throughout the playoffs, proving they are worthy of winning the championship trophy. Unfortunately, only one of them will advance to the NBA Finals. Who might that team be?
Golden State Warriors.
Perhaps the team with the most odds of advancing to the finals, the Warriors have won the first two playoff series with relative ease, beating the Denver Nuggets 4-1; and the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2. When healthy, the Bay team has a complete roster all-around, with plenty of versatile pieces that can adapt to the team’s playstyle. Surprisingly, players such as Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Otto Porter Jr have put up extraordinary numbers. Additionally, the trio Poole-Thompson-Curry is becoming hard to contain on the offensive end of the court, with 65.6 points per game combined in these playoff series.
Dallas Mavericks.
The Texas team has arguably been the biggest surprise of this year’s playoff series since they consolidated themselves by dethroning one of the favorites to win the title, the Phoenix Suns, winning the series 4-3. The biggest reason for this was Luka Dončić, with astonishing 30.5 Points, 9.8 Rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, second in NBA history, only .7 points behind 1st place: Michael Jordan. Furthermore, the Mavericks’ defense is currently third-best in points allowed this postseason. Therefore, this team cannot be underestimated, as they have maintained consistency on both court ends.
Game 1 impressions.
Shockingly, game 1 went nothing like predicted, with an obliterating win from the Warriors, 112-87. Despite initial expectations regarding the Mavericks’ defensive level, the Warriors had the superior defense, holding the Dallas team to only 36% on Field Goals made. Moreover, unlike in previous years, the Warriors’ offense does not rely on two players but on the entire roster. Seven different players scored 10+ points, making the team even more unpredictable in that aspect of the game.
SERIES PREDICTION:
Golden State Warriors 4-2 Dallas Mavericks (6 game Series)
Hoops CUE writers’ series prediction:
Golden State Warriors 4-3 Dallas Mavericks (7 Game Series)
Even though most believe this is an easy series for the Warriors, that could not be further from reality. Overconfidence can be a determining factor in deciding the winner of this series. Both Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns clearly miscalculated the abilities of the Dallas Mavericks. However, the Mavericks have plenty of adjustments if they want to reign the Western Conference. One thing is for sure; we’ll have quite an exhilarating series.
