The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers will be in their third NBA playoff game in five years.
This year's postseason battle begins in Southern California, heading to the American Airlines Center for Games 3 and 4. There will be plenty of familiar faces in the first round series, including Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Paul George.
Before Sunday's Game 1 tipoff, Sportsday's team of experts (beat writers Brad Townsend and Mike Curtis, columnists Tim Cowlishaw and Kevin Sherrington) answered some burning questions about the postseason. answer.
The Mavericks faced the Clippers in the first round in 2020 and 2021, but lost both times. What is the biggest story this time?
Sherrington: The Clippers hold the series lead, but December was a long time ago. The Mavs are a different team now, strengthened by the additions of Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington and the maturation of their defense, transforming from a 3-point shooting team to a defense-first team. The Mavs went from 22nd in defensive rankings before the deadline to 5th since then. This is a considerable improvement. The Clippers have the advantage of star power and playoff experience, but they are also old and in tatters.
Curtis: There are many stories behind this first-round matchup between the Mavericks and Clippers, but the most interesting is the historical background between the two teams. This will be the third time in the past five years that these teams have met in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers had an advantage over the Mavericks in 2020 and 2021. When asked what was different this time around, Doncic simply said, “We have Kai,” referring to Irving. This is the first time Doncic has faced a scorer like himself in the playoffs. Can the Mavs overcome the odds? only time will tell.
Townsend: As one of the few reporters who covered the 2020 Bubble Series and 2021's Epic 7 Gamers, I feel like I should be an expert on this topic.
Then again, I'm the guy who infamously tweeted from inside the bubble that Dallas was facing a 21-point deficit in the first half and Game 4 was “over.” Luka Doncic, 21, certainly taught me a lesson that day. I'm also the only DMN writer to pick Dallas as a candidate to beat Los Angeles in 2021. Dallas looked pretty smart in Game 1 when they went 2-0 and led the series 30-11.
Does anyone really want to know my opinion on this year's biggest storyline? Beyond the most obvious question mark of Kawhi Leonard's health issues, the subplot I'm most interested in following is Gafford and Derek Lives. It's Dallas' ability, or inability, to dictate its style of play based on Lee's two-center tandem and pace. II. Conversely, Dallas has already proven they are capable of replacing Clippers center Ivica Zubac and taking him out of the game against Doncic.
The Mavericks' most obvious advantage in this series is size, but can they take advantage of it? Dallas won 16 of 18 games late in the season and almost completely changed the way they played, but it's much harder to impose your will on one team through a seven-game playoff series.
Kauri show: There's no way to avoid Leonard and his knee injury becoming a major storyline. The Clippers are a different team without him, but there are many games where Leonard is on the bench and George usually steps up when his role is strengthened, so it's a deal breaker that some might think It may not be a thing. I made Irving the top storyline as they aim to reach the extended playoffs for the first time in seven years. It's the first time Irving has played 10 games in one postseason since 2017, a loss to Golden State in his final year in Cleveland.
There's no question the Mavericks would like to see him play more, and a few more times, especially considering how well he finished the season.
The series features six Hall of Fame candidates. Which player poses the biggest matchup problem for the Mavericks?
Sherrington: As long as Leonard is healthy, it's fine for everyone. He's one of the best two-way players in NBA history. He could also leave Russell Westbrook for Irving and play against Doncic alone. The Clippers will try to get the Mavs' role players to win games, but it will be up to Washington and Tim Hardaway and Dante Exum to regain scoring leeway.
Curtis: There's a lot of firepower on both teams, but George is one of the most consistent players on this Clippers team. If Leonard is out due to lingering knee pain, George will lead the offense. The Clippers were 7-7 without Leonard this season, but 3-5 without George. Defense will be important in this series. Although George isn't the defender he once was, he still has the length and athleticism needed to defend in spurts, especially when the game slows down. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. will have their hands full trying to contain George.
Townsend: Leonard averaged 32.1 points and 7.9 rebounds on 61% shooting in the 2021 series. Dallas didn't have an answer for him on either end of the court, as he was also challenged to protect Doncic during key stretches.
Between Jones Jr. and Washington, the Mavericks believe they can neutralize George and Westbrook to some degree, but if Leonard is healthy, double teams will be needed, and not just George and Westbrook, but Harden and Norman. This could open up opportunities for Powell as well.
Kauri show: A player who averages 16.6 points and 8.5 assists per game shouldn't have any nightmares in the playoffs. But even at 34 years old, Harden is not a force to be reckoned with for the Mavs. He's still a great distributor, capable of hitting 3 feet, and can get money from the free throw line even when he fouls out. Harden isn't the MVP-type player he was in Houston five years ago, but he's surrounded by talented scorers. No one knows how driven he is to prove once and for all in the playoffs that he can offer more than his critics suspect. Irving is too small to guard him and I don't want to risk Doncic getting into foul trouble on a Harden fake.
Who will win the series and why?
Sherrington: Mavs six times. If Dallas had a better seed, I would have said the Mavs at five. Things would have been different if Harden and Leonard were both healthy. But building a team around older players is a tough gamble after a long season of struggles. Especially when a key player is injured. The longer the series drags on, the more the Mavs will assert themselves for a deep playoff run.
Curtis: The old adage is that it's hard to beat a team three times. That may be reflected in this series. The Mavericks will avenge 2020 and 2021 by defeating the Clippers in six games. The Clippers haven't played this new team with Washington and Gafford, so they have a good chance of stealing one of the first two games in Los Angeles. Dereck Lively II also seems to be stepping up at the right time. Dallas should emerge as the winner of this series.
Townsend: As many headaches as the Clippers' HOF foursome and Powell have, the size and length Dallas adds with Gafford and Washington will give Jason Kidd more chess pieces than Tyronn Lue. believe. Mavericks in 6th place.
Kauri show: The Mavericks win in seven games, but it's a long, tough series that optimistic Mavs fans have in mind right now. The way Dallas' season ended, it looks like Luka and Kyrie could blitz just about anyone in the West. I wouldn't rule out a team with George and Harden and maybe Leonard and Powell and Terrence Mann, especially one with Lue on the bench, one of the top five in the league.
But despite this, the Mavs have a more explosive team, and Gafford has elevated their defense in the paint to a level that allows Dallas to move forward.
Read more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
