ABM
Happily Married In Music City, USA!
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Well, at least this guy does...
From: Dallas News Blog
From: Dallas News Blog
The Mavs have made it clear they fear no team in a best-of-seven series. That's swell and all, but the Mavs probably need a favorable matchup to win a playoff series for the first time since 2006.
The Lakers obviously are a foe the Mavs need to avoid in the first round. Odds are the Mavs would be on vacation after four straight seven-point losses.
We saw last season what happens when the Mavs get a playoff matchup with Chris Paul's Hornets, and it wasn't pretty. One of the Mavs' biggest defensive flaws is their inability to contain elite point guards. So cross Tony Parker's Spurs and Deron Williams' Jazz off the list along with Paul's Hornets.
I'm on the fence about the Rockets. The Mavs have no answer for Yao Ming. PG Aaron Brooks has the kind of quickness that could give the Mavs problems. Houston could slow down Dirk by throwing Luis Scola, Ron Artest and Shane Battier at him. But it's been a long time since the Rockets have won a playoff series.
Not sure about the Nuggets, either. The fact that Denver has won all three meetings with the Mavs this season certainly isn't encouraging. But the Nuggets (5-5) have been struggling down the stretch.
That leaves one West playoff team I'd feel confident betting on the Mavs to beat: the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavs are 3-0 against the Blazers this season, and Portland has precious little playoff experience on its roster. Plus, Jason Kidd vs. Steve Blake is a major mismatch to the Mavs' advantage.







