9:00 PM EST, TNT – Line: Warriors -5, Over/Under: 214.5
Chalk? What the @#$% is chalk in the wild, wild West, as the upstart Dallas Mavericks battle the resurrected Golden State Warriors in Game One of what is nothing short of an unexpected Western Conference Final from Chase Center in San Francisco, California? Indeed, by far and away the biggest surprise of the playoffs thus far has been the Mavericks (52-30, 4th in Western Conference), who appear to be well ahead of schedule in advancing to their first Western Final since 2011. After undergoing what can only be described as a soft reboot, Dallas came into the campaign with a new Head Coach for the first time in THIRTEEN years, relieving Rick Carlisle of his duties and eventually replacing him with Jason Kidd, who in turn began his third different tenure with the franchise that drafted him No. Two Overall in the 1994 NBA Draft. It’s been quite the journey for Kidd, who after enjoying the first two and a half years of his career in Northern Texas, would take his talents to Phoenix and later New Jersey, appearing in back-to-back NBA Finals with the latter, before inevitably returning to the Mavs at the Trade Deadline in 2008, where he would play a key component in capturing the club’s only Larry O’Brien trophy three years later before calling it a career in 2013. Unconventionally, he would dive right into the coaching experience, being tabbed as the Nets Head Coach a few months after his retirement, only to last in the Big Apple for one season, opting to take over the Bucks in the summer of 2014. And this is where things got murky for Kidd, who in over three seasons in Milwaukee amassed a 139-152 record with a pair of postseason appearances, before being relieved of his duties midway through the 2017-2018 campaign. The longtime floor general would eventually find a home on the Lakers bench, with Los Angeles claiming the 2020 NBA Title in the Bubble, before being handpicked by (Mavs Owner) Mark Cuban to lead the franchise that he spent seven years of his playing career with. And it’s with that said that the table was set for the 49-year-old, who has been praised for his ability to communicate and relate with star players, while playing a key role in the formative stages of the evolution of the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, Kidd hit it off immediately with (All-NBA Guard) Luka Doncic (28.4 PTS, 45.7% FG, 35.3% 3FG, 74.4%, 9.1 REB, 8.7 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.6 BLK, 25.1 PER), crafting a gameplan that has been tailormade to the Slovenian’s myriad of talents. The Mavericks have found great success in slowing things down considerably (95.4 possessions per 48 minutes, last in the NBA), allowing the 22-year-old maestro to control virtually everything transpiring on the offensive end; efficiency is the key word for this unit, who have been nearly impossible to turnover, committing just 12.5 per game (3rd Overall) which equates to a turnover percentage of 11.7% (8th Overall). With that said, slowing things down has had a profound effect on their defense, which has allowed the second-fewest points in the NBA (104.7) and the fewest three-pointers (10.9), en route to ranking sixth overall in defensive rating (109.4). However, the biggest question coming into these playoffs was whether or not their supporting cast would be up to par, for as we had seen in each of the previous two postseasons in which they were felled in the First Round, there’s been Doncic and little else. Thankfully for the faithful down there in the Lone Star State, that would NOT be the case this time around, for Dallas has received a wealth of contributions from a variety of sources. While Doncic (strained right calf) was sidelined for the first three games of their first-round affair with the Jazz, (emerging Guard) Jalen Brunson (16.3 PTS, 50.2% FG, 37.3% 3FG, 84.0% FT, 3.9 REB, 4.8 AST, 0.8 STL, 17.1 PER) erupted in his absence, averaging 27.8 points on 48.4% shooting from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc, ensuring that he will be in line for a HEFTY raise as he approaches Free Agency this summer. In the next series against the top-seeded Suns, it was (unheralded Forward) Dorian Finney-Smith (11.0 PTS, 47.1% FG, 39.5% 3FG, 67.5% FT, 4.7 REB, 1.9 AST, 1.1 TL, 0.5 BLK, 12.5 PER) who helped turn the tide at American Airlines Center, popping off for twenty-four points in Game Four and drilling 12-of-23 triples (52.1%) between that contest and its predecessor. Lastly, (veteran Guard) Spencer Dinwiddie (15.8 PTS, 49.8% FG, 40.4% 3FG, 72.5% FT, 3.1 REB, 3.9 AST, 0.7 STL, 19.0 PER) revived his career since arriving via midseason trade from Washington, pouring in THIRTY points in Sunday night’s shocking 123-90 annihilation of Phoenix in Game Seven. After the home team won every game leading up to that fateful contest, it was utterly stunning to see Dallas manhandle the league’s only 60-win team in such a manner; the visitors led by as many as FORTY-SIX points, with Doncic outscoring the hosts in the first half all by himself (27-27). Kidd’s troops shot 56.8% from the field and a blistering 19-of-39 from long-range (48.7%), despite totaling just fourteen assists on the night. Doncic finished with thirty-five points, ten rebounds, and four assists, while the aforementioned Brunson added twenty-four in what was easily the most surprising outcome of the playoffs thus far. And now it’s on to San Francisco, where the Mavs won just one of their four meetings, though their lone win (107-101 at Chase Center back in late February) was the only meeting to occur after the trade for Dinwiddie. The former Wizard authored twenty-four points on a stellar 10-of-14 shooting (71.4%) off the bench, while Doncic led the way with thirty-four points, eleven of which coming from the charity stripe, as the visitors shot 50.0% from the field, and held the Warriors to a meager 42.9% shooting and 11-of-39 from three (28.2%).
Meanwhile, the Warriors (53-29, 3rd in Western Conference) are now closer than ever to recapturing the dynastic form that saw them advance to FIIVE consecutive NBA Finals and win three NBA Championships (2015, 2017, 2018), as they get set to participate in their first Western Conference Final in three years. Indeed, it’s been quite the journey for Golden State, whose empire crumbled in spectacular fashion during the 2019 NBA Finals in which both Kevin Durant and (All-Star sharpshooter) Klay Thompson (20.4 PTS, 42.9% FG, 38.5% 3FG, 90.2% FT, 3.9 REB, 2.8 AST, 0.5 STL, 16.7 PER) suffered catastrophic injuries mid-series, with the former tearing his Achilles and the latter rupturing his ACL. The following season, Durant opted to take his talents to Brooklyn in Free Agency, while (two-time MVP) Steph Curry (25.5 PTS, 43.7% FG, 38.0% 3FG, 92.3% FT, 5.2 REB, 6.3 AST, 1.3 STL, 21.4 PER) was relegated to just FIVE games with a broken right hand, leaving the Dubs to crater their way to a 15-50 record which was so bad that they were excluded from even being invited to the Bubble. Unfortunately, the bad times weren’t over, for just as he recovered from that torn ACL, Thompson inexplicably torn his Achilles in a practice that fall, costing him a second consecutive campaign. Granted, a healthy Curry would put the team on his back en route to winning his second scoring title, but the Warriors could do no better than qualifying for the play-in tournament where they were ultimately bested by the Lakers and then the Grizzlies. So, how have (Head Coach) Steve Kerr’s troops advanced to this level, you ask? Well, rather than point fingers and feel sorry for themselves, they’ve done a tremendous job of developing the talent on hand, so that when Thompson returned, they would have the quality depth that was such a key to their past success. Indeed, Golden State started this season HOT, eighteen of their first twenty games thanks to the brilliance of Curry and (versatile Forward) Draymond Green (7.5 PTS, 52.5% FG, 29.6% 3FG, 65.9% FT, 7.3 REB, 7.0 AST, 11.3 STL, 1.1 BLK, 14.3 PER), along with the emergence of a number of young talents; (unheralded Guard) Jordan Poole (18.5 PTS, 44.8% FG, 36.4% 3FG, 92.5% FT, 3.4 REB, 4.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 16.1 PER) was in the G-League before making the most of his opportunity in Thompson’s absence, while (backup Guard) Gary Payton II (7.1 PTS, 61.6% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 60.3% FT, 3.5 REB, 0.9 AST, 1.4 STL, 17.8 PER) and (Rookie Forward) Jonathan Kuminga (9.3 PTS, 51.3% FG, 33.6% 3FG, 68.4% FT, 3.3 REB, 0.9 AST, 15.2 PER) settled into their roles and enjoyed their moments in the spotlight. Furthermore, (veteran Swingmen) Andrew Wiggins (17.2 PTS, 46.6% FG, 39.3% 3FG, 63.4% FT, 4.5 REB, 2.2 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.7 BLK, 15.0 PER) and Otto Porter Jr. (8.2 PTS, 46.4% FG, 37.0% 3FG, 80.3% FT, 5.7 REB, 1.5 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.5 BLK, 15.9 PER) would breathe new life into their once-stalled careers within the Dubs’ culture. Thompson, however, would make his grand return on January 9th, and would be monitored heavily over the remainder of the regular season, as were both Curry and Green, with the former missing the final twelve contests due to bruised foot, and the latter sidelined for TWENTY-NINE consecutive games with a back injury. All in all, Kerr’s big three played just ONE game together prior to the playoffs, but as we’ve seen thus far, resting them for the postseason run was certainly the right course of action. After disposing of the Nuggets in five games, the Warriors were dealt a token of good fortune in their next series, as the young Grizzlies lost (newly-minted Most Improved Player) Ja Morant in Game Three to a knee injury that would cost him the rest of the affair altogether. That matchup was tied at two games apiece before that turn of events, and from that point on it was Golden State winning three of the next four contests, culminating in last Friday night’s 110-96 victory at Chase Center. Credit to Memphis for fighting like hell without their explosive floor general, but the hosts’ experience was very evident in this one, as they slowly turned the tide in the second half before a watershed 32-19 fourth quarter. The man of the match was unquestionably Thompson, who replicated his past Game Six heroics with thirty points on 11-of-22 shooting (50.0%), including 8-of-14 from beyond the arc (57.1%), along with eight rebounds and a pair of assists. After appearing a step slow on both ends of the court earlier in these playoffs, the 32-year-old came out firing from the opening tip, totaling eleven points on just five shots in the opening period of play. Curry finished with twenty-nine points, though struggled on 10-of-27 shooting (37.0%) and 6-of-17 from downtown (35.3%). There has been concern of fatigue in regard to Curry, who just finished the first campaign of his career shooting below 40.0% from deep (35.9%). Granted, part of that is volume (11.7 attempts per game), but against Memphis he shot a lukewarm 41.3% overall and 32.9% on triples over the course of the series. Against Dallas this season, those struggles were even worse in netting only 38.8% of his field goals and 29.4% of his threes in those four meetings. Another thing to keep an eye on moving forward is health. Yes, the big three are as healthy as they’ve been all season, but the rest of the rotation has suffered a rash of maladies over the last few weeks; (veteran Swingman) Andre Iguodala (4.0 PTS, 38.0% FG, 23.0% 3FG, 75.0% FT, 3.2 REB, 3.7 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.7 BLK, 12.3 PER) has missed the last nine outings with strained neck, while Porter Jr. did not participate in Friday’s finale with a bruised foot. Furthermore, Payton II is expected to miss the entirety of this series after a flagrant foul sent him falling to the hardwood in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals, with the youngster injuring his elbow in breaking his fall. Needless to say, Kerr’s bench will be SHORT in this series, which certainly bears watching.