(3) Golden State Warriors vs (4) Dallas Mavericks WCF

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

 

[tlance]

Lebron was a great defender during the 2019-2020 season when he put in full effort. Remember that year when he guarded both Kawhi and PG13 on the last shot and neither was able to get off a good shot?

You are talking about 1 possession. He wasn’t able to bring that for an entire series.

The Celtics have 4 options better than anyone the Lakers had on that team. They are literally better equipped for guarding physical wings like Butler than anybody else in the league.

You are wrong.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

You are talking about 1 possession. He wasn’t able to bring that for an entire series.

The Celtics have 4 options better than anyone the Lakers had on that team. They are literally better equipped for guarding physical wings like Butler than anybody else in the league.

You are wrong.

Yea not sure why he's doubling down on this. It's not to say Miami can't beat them (they most certainly can) but to say Boston isn't equipped to deal with Butler is false. They are better equipped than anyone.

 

[logic]

Ws in 7

 

[Sir Robin Of Camelot]

Love Nico's perspective on this...

What thoughts went through the minds of (Nico) Harrison and Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban as their acquisitions helped tilt the series after Dallas fell behind 2-0?

“Honestly, you get a chance to smile,” Harrison said. “And Mark and I will wink at each other. But you’ve got to keep pushing forward and looking forward, not behind.”

For that reason, Harrison and Kidd, friends for two decades, say there was little if any reflecting or basking after Sunday night’s blowout.

The challenge of facing the Warriors, making their sixth conference finals appearance in eight years, await – as does opportunity. Dallas went 3-1 against Golden State in the regular season. The Mavericks were 2-0 against one East finalist, Boston, and 1-1 against the other, Miami.

“I’m with Jason on this,” Harrison said. “I can sit back and think about it in August. Heck, I want to keep playing. This is time to get greedy. It’s not time to be complacent and kind of look back at your accomplishments.

“This is the time to be focused. When you make it to this point, it’s time to take it to another level.”

- Dallas Morning News

 

[Robotech]

Ws in 7

I got so confused by your post. With so much talk on this thread about Jimmy Butler and how the Celtics will guard him, I thought I was in the Celtics-Heat thread. LOL.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

I got so confused by your post. With so much talk on this thread about Jimmy Butler and how the Celtics will guard him, I thought I was in the Celtics-Heat thread. LOL.

Same here.
I was thinking of posting some Warriors talk in the celtics-heat thread.

I still might just for S’s & G’s.

 

[Robotech]

Same here.
I was thinking of posting some Warriors talk in the celtics-heat thread.

I still might just for S’s & G’s.

Go for it. Start talking about how the options that the Warriors have for guarding Luka. LOL.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Go for it. Start talking about how the options that the Warriors have for guarding Luka. LOL.

We’ll see.
Maybe after lunch.

 

[tlance]

Go for it. Start talking about how the options that the Warriors have for guarding Luka. LOL.

Wiggins, Otto Porter, Klay…

I think the way to defend the Mavs is not to help much on Luka drives. Put your best guy on him and try to keep him in front for a contested shot.

He will probably get 35, might get 45. But if you can hold the role players down I think you can live with that. When the Mavs others are hitting shots is when you really got problems. Luka going to get his.

 

[Wamu]

Same here.
I was thinking of posting some Warriors talk in the celtics-heat thread.

I still might just for S’s & G’s.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Wiggins, Otto Porter, Klay…

I think the way to defend the Mavs is not to help much on Luka drives. Put your best guy on him and try to keep him in front for a contested shot.

He will probably get 35, might get 45. But if you can hold the role players down I think you can live with that. When the Mavs others are hitting shots is when you really got problems. Luka going to get his.

Agreed.
Pretty close to what I posted on the previous page.

 

[Shanemansj13]

Wiggins, Otto Porter, Klay…

I think the way to defend the Mavs is not to help much on Luka drives. Put your best guy on him and try to keep him in front for a contested shot.

He will probably get 35, might get 45. But if you can hold the role players down I think you can live with that. When the Mavs others are hitting shots is when you really got problems. Luka going to get his.

The Lebron strategy, at least after Kyrie left. No Kyrie for Dallas. Brunson is a problem and Payton would have been a perfect matchup but Brunson is probably the x-factor but of course like you mentioned if GS limits their shooters going to be difficult to score with GS

 

[Wamu]

The Lebron strategy,

That's what he calls his hairline.

 

[CitySushi]

The Lebron strategy, at least after Kyrie left. No Kyrie for Dallas. Brunson is a problem and Payton would have been a perfect matchup but Brunson is probably the x-factor but of course like you mentioned if GS limits their shooters going to be difficult to score with GS

I heard on the radio from Steve Kerr that they're kind of treating this Mav series kind of how they treated the Harden era Rockets. If you think about it, it kind of makes sense. Ball dominant guard and a bunch of three point shooting surrounding them. Lots of switching wings.

By this statement I would agree with @tlance in that the Warriors will plan on letting Luka get his and limit the role players as much as they can.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I heard on the radio from Steve Kerr that they're kind of treating this Mav series kind of how they treated the Harden era Rockets. If you think about it, it kind of makes sense. Ball dominant guard and a bunch of three point shooting surrounding them. Lots of switching wings.

By this statement I would agree with @tlance in that the Warriors will plan on letting Luka get his and limit the role players as much as they can.

It won't be any strategy that we haven't seen in the past. They've faced Harden, like you mentioned, and Lebron. Dallas is gonna need Dinwiddie to step up in this series.

 

[UK Cowboy]

If the Mavs role players shoot it like they did Sunday, the Warriors will get wrecked. The Suns were the best team in the West all season and would have been favored in the WCF had they won Sunday

 

[tlance]

If the Mavs role players shoot it like they did Sunday, the Warriors will get wrecked. The Suns were the best team in the West all season and would have been favored in the WCF had they won Sunday

Dinwiddie was unconscious. Brunson had a great 2nd half. The rest of the role players kind of struggled offensively.

That wasn’t why the Mavs won so easily. It was their amazing team defense combined with Phoenix’s ineptitude.

Phoenix scored half their 90 points in the last 13 minutes after the game had been decided.

 

[UK Cowboy]

Dinwiddie was unconscious. Brunson had a great 2nd half. The rest of the role players kind of struggled offensively.

That wasn’t why the Mavs won so easily. It was their amazing team defense combined with Phoenix’s ineptitude.

Phoenix scored half their 90 points in the last 13 minutes after the game had been decided.

As you pointed out, 3 of their role players did next to nothing. That has to worry G.S. as well
If the Dallas defense is as stout as you suggest, they should be able to lock up the Dubs the same way they did the Suns. I think for the Warriors to win, it's not so much who guards Luka, as they have no one who can. It's who Luka guards. Luka is the one weak spot on the Mavs D and the Suns didn't exploit it enough. IMO, Golden State should feed whichever player Luka is on, and feed them the whole game. Wear him out or get him in foul trouble is the only way they will slow him down on the other end of the court

 

[CitySushi]

As you pointed out, 3 of their role players did next to nothing. That has to worry G.S. as well
If the Dallas defense is as stout as you suggest, they should be able to lock up the Dubs the same way they did the Suns. I think for the Warriors to win, it's not so much who guards Luka, as they have no one who can. It's who Luka guards. Luka is the one weak spot on the Mavs D and the Suns didn't exploit it enough. IMO, Golden State should feed whichever player Luka is on, and feed them the whole game. Wear him out or get him in foul trouble is the only way they will slow him down on the other end of the court

IMO the series depends on 4 factors:

1) Perimeter defense.
2) Team that can impose desired pace.
3) Rebounding.
4) Turnovers.

These are the keys for both teams, IMO. Neither team has a dominant interior force. Both teams are guard/wing heavy and rely on the 3 point shot. Dallas has the slowest pace in the NBA, which is their speed with Luka controlling it. Warriors like to play fast. Missed 3's lead to fast break opportunities. Limiting second chance points on 3 point heavy shooting teams is a must. Whichever team does the better of the 4 above will win the series. I think it's as simple as that.