The remaining two teams in the west had a long and fun second round. Dallas and Minnesota were more committed and better coached than the star-studded teams in Denver and Oklahoma City. While the Mavericks are on a roll, there’s a lot of hype on the Timberwolves after they eliminated the defending champion Nuggets. One of these two teams must advance to the championship round. Time to break down which one has the best chance to represent the west in the finals.
#5 Dallas Mavericks v. #3 Minnesota Timberwolves
A new era of the NBA is upon us. Get ready for the Luka Doncic v. Anthony Edwards narratives. Both players aren’t just franchise stars, they’re new faces the NBA wants to see take over the game in and outside the U.S.
Both teams have great guard duos and two-way production from their centers at both ends of the court. Everyone wants to watch Mavericks point-guard Luka Doncic and shooting-guard Kyrie Irving take on Timberwolves point-guard Mike Conley and shooting guard Anthony Edwards for at least six games. The older Irving and Conley will have their hands full on defense while trying to facilitate and elevate their offenses. If Doncic and Edwards have low-scoring games, they still impact the players around them with their play-making and passing.
Minnesota has a slight advantage outside the guard positions. Power forward Karl-Anthony Towns stunned viewers out-performing improved Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon last series. The nine year veteran played well on offense and improved defensively against the Nuggets. Sixth man of the year Naz Reid plays better each round and Jaden McDaniels can be a thorn against any opponent. Dallas’ P.J. Washington has struggled in previous rounds while Derrick Jones Jr. will have a hard time with McDaniels alone. Coach Jason Kidd should adjust his forward depth by playing Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. for longer stretches of time.
Both teams mirror each other from coaching to bench depth. To stay consistent with the other conference finals pick, it’s a better decision to go with the more determined, veteran team. Yes, Minnesota has the fundamentals to beat Dallas this series, but the Mavericks have more pressure to make the finals.
Prediction: Mavericks win the western conference and series 4-3
Western conference playoff picks record after two rounds: 3-3
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