Mavericks Versus Trail Blazers, Playoffs, Round One

It also says on the ESPN matchup page:

“Can Dirk and the Mavs make it past the first round for the second time in 10 years?”

Considering that they made it past the first round 6 times in the last 10 years, I’m gonna say yes.

Blazer fan here, I predict you will be seeing many of us in the next week or two. Here’s looking forward to a great series and a spirited, yet respectful and good-natured, fan rivalry.

lets wrap this up in 4. we mad!

Sure, the Mavs have been through a lot with Dirk hurt, and then Butler out, and Roddy out; but that’s the point – we still won 57 games when it was all said and done. The same as the defending champs. Three less than the best in the West. Four less than the best in basketball. We ran off a huge streak of what, 20 wins out of 22 games? And that was without Butler wasn’t it? We’ve been without Chandler, too.

But when this team has been healthiest, it has been at its best. A starting five of Kidd, (insert SG), Marion, Dirk and Chandler is going to be a great starting 5. Add to that the huge depth this team has at every position, and the flexibility to go small and shooting or long, athletic and defending, with players that cut to the hoop, finish at the rim, hit the 3, and can command a double team, plus a super star, and I am not down on this team. In fact, I’m high on it. Mark Jackson, when asked last night, which West team he thinks has the big upset in this post season, he said the Mavs. And he didn’t mean in the 1st round. I agree. I think if a team is going to take out the Lakers, it’s a team that can defend their post players (Chandler, Haywood and Mahinmi with fouls to give against Bynum, Gasol and Odom), can defend Kobe the best (with Stevenson, Marion, Kidd and Brewer we have a good rotation), and has a much better PG.

I’m looking forward to the 1st round though = Portland has a hell of a team, is athletic, and if we don’t defend, can bring the upset.

Last night, I saw, for the first time in awhile, some very tenacious TEAM defense from the Mavs. This is something to build on. There had been several great individual efforts from the Marions, Chandlers, Kidds, and even Brewers over the last month, but I hadn’t seen the unit on the floor really play all that well. I’m looking forward to this series, even though it’s a very cautious and nervous optimism, it’s optimism nonetheless. This team has a lot to prove to everyone, and I feel good in saying that they’ll be up to the task to turn some heads this playoffs.

Am I predicting finals? No, not now. None of us can definitively say any team in the playoffs is an overwhelming favorite to make the finals as of now. But again, this team has more athleticism with their bigs that ever before, a deep stable of 2’s and 3’s so the drop off from starter to bench isn’t nearly what it is for other teams (minus maybe the Bulls), and there’s still the NBA Star. Game breaker.

Does that make me a medical miracle? Or maybe because it’s hard to take the people at ESPN seriously, even though this team does flameout, early and (lately) often…

Cautiously lowered expectations aside, I think this will be an entertaining series. The Blazers are fun to watch and the Mavs can play well if they choose to. I’m really looking forward to Saturday :)

and yet, apprehensive.