All season long, the Phoenix Suns have been the NBA’s best team. In the aftermath of their Finals run a year ago, the Suns have been on an absolute tear through the regular season, and now stand just 4 wins shy of a second straight Conference Finals appearance.
And while the Mavericks are considered heavy underdogs in the series, there are some who believe they could shock the world.
In a piece for The Athletic, one anonymous league coach explained why he has Dallas pulling off the upset in Round 2.
“I look at matchups. Mikal Bridges will match up, and Jae Crowder will match up at times, with Doncic. And both teams play small, so it helps. I think where Dallas gets the advantage is when their small ball comes into a game, their scoring becomes a lot better with the 3-point line, and the Mavericks can match up. Jalen Brunson is playing so well right now, as well as Doncic. They’re all playing at a great clip, and I think Chris Paul is going to be able to get worn down like you saw a little bit in that New Orleans series with (Jose) Alvarado guarding him. I think Dallas has bigger defenders that can get into him, and the Mavericks can switch between Devin Booker and Paul and create that matchup problem for Phoenix.”
Coach’s pick: Mavericks in six
The Mavericks made a late-season push to secure the 4th seed. Behind the electrifying play of Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, the Mavs handled the broken Utah Jazz and face overwhelming odds against the Suns. In a panel of ESPN experts, not one of them picked Dallas to move on.
But with a pair of solid young stars in Luka and Brunson, capable role players in Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, and a great basketball mind leading from the sidelines (Jason Kidd), don’t be surprised if the Mavs give Chris Paul and company a run for their money.
With Game 1 set to tip off later, we’ll find out soon enough just how these teams match up against each other.
