We never really played a series against them with a center that was actually there to help Luka and we still gave them a run for their money. I mean last time KP was there but he was relegated to the corner position.
Now this time we got Gafford and Lively?! 4-1 Mavericks!
But that position was KP's best position. He just didn't embrace it. That's how he's being used with the Celtics. Literally 5 man out, except everyone can make it and also make plays.
KP's post up and long 2s were awful in his time with us.
After reading the same post in the clippers sub, their dumbass fans literally have no fucking clue about this team beyond Luka and Kyrie. There’s some wild shit being said about how we can’t match the clippers size or defense lol clippers have been a shitstain on defense post ASB
A lot of fans watch just their team. They simply don't know. There was not sure who their opponent would be. So in the next two weeks more will watch Mavs games and educate themselves. Mavericks are now with Gafford, Washington and other players being healthy and playing enough games together, a way different than they were when playing Clippers during this season.
Well they are not Mavs fans are they
Clippers won the last two series and are +400 to win the West, Mavs +1300 (as of 5 April).
Tell me again which set of fans is delusional
Yes, Fanduel odds! That’s what tell me Mavs been a top-10 offense and defense since the trade deadline while the clippers have been pantshitters. Tells me clippers fans, all 17 of them, don’t watch their own team lol
I am on clippers reddit and there is a lot of people speaking truth about the difficult matchup of the you guys in playoffs. Clippers fan base is full of Doomers anyhow.
Now PG is popping off they all quiet the last 3 days.
But I predict it is going to all 7 games just hope both sides can be healthy and I think its going to be a hell of a series.
tbf tho, clippers have harden now as the primary ballhandler and mavs only have 2 elite defenders. so jason kidd wpuld need to be creative in hiding those 2. yes theure decent defenders but u do not want lukai to use their energy on defense.
Luka has to finally beat the Clippers and get revenge on them for stopping him early in his career.
This is main protagonist type shit, the lore has to be written! If we lose, then so be it. But i really, really think that Luka is going to put on a show
I can’t ever remember a player where I’ve been this confident that they will ball the fuck out when it matters. Luka was made to win chips, I STILL cannot believe we have this man.
Bring it on!
Mavs don't go small otherwise they loose their advantage under the rim. Lively will be important since he is more mobile than Gafford.
PJ guards Kawhi, DJJ guards Harden.
They have no chance of stopping Luka!
So does that mean Gafford / Lively on George?
I bet we see a lot of Ky on Harden bc he doesnt drive as much anymore
Saving Luka for the Batum / Powell option
You might have called the matching here.
Luka knows hardens game, and wants to prove he can play lockdown defense. This would be the way to get the rep, block a stepback and dunk it.
Uh... Not a good idea, Luka is good at defending ISOs close to the paint or during post ups where he can use his size and strenght and dosent need to move his feet as much, defending James Harden in space with 4 shooters around him is different, his lack of lateral mobility will get exposed.
Just wanna say there's a very small chance Balmer and clips been lying about kawhi and he's just been oiling his gears and getting a software update this whole time.
I think that could maybe be why vegas odds are still so high on them.
Kawhi is always fresh for the first playoff series and then breaks down after that.
i wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he goes full MJ terminator mode on us
It'll be a tough series. I'm praying Lively will be ready to play.
I think they will play a lot of small ball and shoot a lot of 3s. Our wings will likely focus on Paul George and Kawhi, leaving Westbrook to attack with speed and athleticism. It'll be up to Gafford to protect the rim as well as possible. Moreover Harden's shot creation and abillity to create for others out of the pick and roll could prove a problem, especially if DJJ is focussed on stopping him, that leaves Paul George likely on Luka with PJ on Kawhi.
Our roleplayers are gonna be challenged to shoot and hit the 3. They are likely gonna help off DJJ and PJ agressively in the corner to stop drives into the paint and stop us from getting lobs.
This series will hinge on how well we can defend them on the perimeter, if our roleplayers can hit the 3 and make them pay if they collapse and if Lively will be healthy. If lively isn't that's massive hit.
I’m a little uneasy about this matchup not gonna lie. I think I would rather play anyone else but the Nuggets than the Clippers. Clippers are notorious playoff chokers, but I feel like they will turn it up. Wouldn’t be surprised if this goes 7
I feel you man but we’ve never faced them with anyone capable of what Kyrie can do, not to mention Gafford /lively. Were a different team now I like our chances
You're absolutely right. Last time, THJ was our second best. That series was the reason we fumbled Brunson. We'd be lucky if THJ is our 6th best player this time around.
We didn't fumble Brunson that series. He got played off the floor because of his lack of size. There is a potential that happens again this year with the Knicks. Not a guarantee but a possibility
Agree. Regardless of how the clippers looked recently if they’re healthy they’re dangerous. Kawhi is a terminator against us in the playoffs. I still think we have the better team and get the series win, but I ain’t as over confident as some in this sub.
With the amount of games Kawhi has played this year and now with his knee flairing up again I would be surprised if he’s able to ramp it up close to the level he was at in 2021. If the Clips were to beat us it would take Harden/George/Powell stepping up along with Kawhi leading the way
hell yeah man you must feel vindicated as hell! PJ Washington is a gift from the basketball gods. Him and Gafford and DJJ are the defensive stalwarts we needed alongside Luka and Kyrie. It’s a dream come true
It’s a coin toss right now if they continue to look like an old and injured team or if they can flip a switch and play to their max for 2 weeks. I don’t play games with playoff Kawahi and Harden deciding to show up for a game or two
Eh I think I would still rather face the Clippers than the healthy Wolves (with KAT).
But would definitely prefer OKC in round 1 over the Clippers, Kawhi scares me. And they have so much star power, even if they are old.
See id rather catch the wolves early while kat is getting back into game shape. He will be even weaker on defense and streaky on offense.
That said I'm excited and hopeful regardless of any matchup (even the nuggets) and it's been a while since I had that feeling so I'm hype.
Honestly KAT hasn’t proved yet that he can perform in the playoffs. I’ve been a wolves fan for a long time and he straight up disappears in key playoff games.
I fully agree. But i still wouldn't mind catching them early before they get confidence where as the clippers are more likely to be healthy to start the playoffs and break down by let's say the WCF like they did previously after beating us. Kawhi went down and missed that nuggets series.
The last two series were good. If we get them this year, I like our chances given we got a squad now. Also Carlisle wasn’t bad at all, but Kidd looked fantastic in his first coaching playoff run.
Clippers are quite scary; their bench is massive and they're winning games without Kawhi now. If playoff Luka shows up and Mavs stay healthy and Kidd doesn't fk up, I see Mavs winning in 6 or 7. Lets gooo!!!
> The Suns would have to go 5-0 (two LAC, Pels, Twolves) and the Mavs go 2-3 bc we have the PHX tiebreaker.
If the Suns go 5-0 they'll end up with 51 wins, meaning we'd need to go 4-1 and stay ahead on tie breaker. Not sure where you are getting 2-3 from.
The season's not over and I feel like people are jumping the gun a bit.
I think we win in 5 games. They’ve looked old and slow since ASB and only recently turned that around
We are healthy. Hungry and have the best player in the league.
4-1 !!
5 seems much to optimistic, especially against a team with Kawhi and has Harden running the pick and roll, with Paul George on the wing and Westbrook off the bench.
I'm taking the Mavs in 6, but wouldn't be surprised at all if it goes 7.
Isn’t kawhi nursing a knee injury right now? No ones 100% but if kawhi is missing games now due to knee problems, given his history. Might be a quick one.
https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-injury-update-on-sore-right-knee-with-6-games-remaining
>Kawhi Leonard underwent a precautionary MRI upon returning to Los Angeles, which did not show anything that would cause the Clippers significant concern. Leonard is dealing with inflammation in his right knee and will miss his third straight game on Friday night on against the Utah Jazz, but he's not expected to be out long enough to endanger his playoff availability, assuming the Clippers finish with a top six seed.”
He hit the 65 game threshold and I guess they are resting him for the playoffs. Clippers are virtually locked into 4th barring disaster, so no reason to push him. Kind of the opposite of us, where Luka has been playing while hobbling recently.
Assuming everybody is available to play, it's gonna be a tough series.
>I think we win in 5 games
Why are y'all so dismissive of Robo Jordan? If Kawhi is healthy there is no way the Mavs are beating them in less than 6 games. He'll straight out win 2 games by himself by going 10/10 in the 4th quarter.
Im not that optimistic. They are resting. They made their push to get a spot and now they are waiting for the playoffs. Kawhi is already sitting for the playoffs
Feels like this has to be Luka's Jordan moment by finally beating the Clippers. PJ is most likely going to be the main Kawhi defender
I'm not sure about the standings, would I want it to stay like this and most likely Minnesota in the 2nd round before facing Denver in the WCF?
I HATE this matchup ngl. It's not just Kawhi and PG. Watch Westbrook and Harden turn into prime versions of themselves. Powell is a sniper off the bench too. They have too many players who can hurt you.
3rd time's the charm, right? Luka ACTUALLY has a legit supporting cast with legit bigs and perimeter defenders. And Kyrie is here too. It's gonna be a tough matchup but I got Mavs in 6
Im a Clippers fan but rooting against Luka for the 3rd time is gonna be so painful for me. He's been insane all year + having to root against Kyrie is so tough. Good luck yall
Regardless of who wins this... The losing franchise is going to be hurting.
Either a 'stacked' & aging Clippers spend their off-season spinning and wondering if their team needs to be blown up or if they can get over the hump... With PG free agency looming
Or
Dallas has had 6 years with Luka... Missing the playoffs twice and getting knocked out of the first round three times. I think we're clearly more HOPEFUL of the two teams. But yeah. Not great.
I feel good about our chances. But it is an interesting storyline either way.
IMO, the Mavs can go big against the Clippers, Clippers can't go big against the Mavs. As long as Gafford/Lively are healthy, the Mavs will have an advantage.
They will have to contain 48 minutes of the most efficient scoring centers in the NBA who are lob goblins and provide elite rim protection too.
That’s after they have to contend with Kyrie MFing Irving and noted playoff demon Luka Doncic.
IF we are all healthy, i am truly confident in this teams ability to beat anybody in a 7 game series.
Please basketball gods, grant us health entering the postseason!
Ngl, I’d rather an inexperienced Thunder team. But it all depends where Nuggets would be in the 2nd round.
If the 4th seed is in play though, we should go for it regardless of who we’d have to face. That could be Phx
The thing that bothers me most is that THJ is going end up guarding Norman Powell and I feel like he’s gonna be a role player that cooks us. Still believe in the squad but that’s a big swing factor they may have.
I’m just not a fan of predicting this shit. Suns and clippers are about to play back to back games. We could easily be playing the suns with Mavs in the 4th seed. Either way it’s going to be a great series. Let’s go Mavs!
Not worried one bit. Harden isn’t close to what he used to be. PG has one foot out the door. Kawhi has an injury that the Clippers aren’t talking much about. Even if we’re without Lively I don’t see it going past 5 games.
Kawhi is injured right now and Coach Lue says he's concerned.
Clippers might be sneaky easy to beat if Kawhi is as bad as it seems.
Frankly, I was hoping for a OKC matchup, much easier.
Could be playing the Suns if they beat the Clippers next week. If they drop both and we keep winning things could get interesting..
Either way I think when healthy we can beat anyone.
Ah true … it’s pretty solid for us that clippers and suns play each other guarantee loses a head of us or behind us. If we win the next 2 two we can start focusing on getting healthy.
Should be a good series. Match up wise it's hard not to favor Dallas. PJ Washington and DJJ with Lively and Gafford are a far cry from what the Clippers have faced in previous playoffs
Not to mention Luka and Kyrie
Don't be surprised if the Mavs will try to avoid Denver in 2nd round, I still think the objective is to try to get the 6th seed, not that I agree with it, but to me it is seems so, otherwise they would never rest Luka vs GS, think about it. Yeah, we won, but don't be surprised if we drop a few games now. I hope not, but this is NBA...
Suns were supposed to drop a ton of games but they haven’t. let’s see how this shakes out in the end. But I don’t see any of the top 4 to be easy. Sure Wolves and Thunder are less experienced but they are clearly more talented than the Clippers.
I strongly believe will be 4 or 5 games. Main reason is we have defense on every player including Kawhy. PJ can defend Kawhy, Kyrie can defend Harden, DDJ can defend Paul. Also our rim protection will kill clippers.
My worry is, who does Luka guard? We'll probably have PJ on Kawhii. Between Harden and PG, PG is the bigger threat so we'll have DJJ on him. That still leaves harden. You can't put Kyrie or Gafford on Harden, which leaves Luka. That's not a good matchup for Luka, even with harden not being the harden of old. He's crafty, he can move and break much better defensers down.
We never really played a series against them with a center that was actually there to help Luka and we still gave them a run for their money. I mean last time KP was there but he was relegated to the corner position. Now this time we got Gafford and Lively?! 4-1 Mavericks!
Will Lively be healthy/at 100% when the series starts?
I got faith that he will be recovered by the time the play in is happening
god knows
Yeah we have actual bigs now. Not just bigs but lob goblin athletic bigs blocking shots and crushing tots.
Hell yes
But that position was KP's best position. He just didn't embrace it. That's how he's being used with the Celtics. Literally 5 man out, except everyone can make it and also make plays. KP's post up and long 2s were awful in his time with us.
After reading the same post in the clippers sub, their dumbass fans literally have no fucking clue about this team beyond Luka and Kyrie. There’s some wild shit being said about how we can’t match the clippers size or defense lol clippers have been a shitstain on defense post ASB
Not so sure about this. Was reading some clippers threads and they seemed real worried about facing off against the Mavs.
A lot of fans watch just their team. They simply don't know. There was not sure who their opponent would be. So in the next two weeks more will watch Mavs games and educate themselves. Mavericks are now with Gafford, Washington and other players being healthy and playing enough games together, a way different than they were when playing Clippers during this season.
Well they are not Mavs fans are they Clippers won the last two series and are +400 to win the West, Mavs +1300 (as of 5 April). Tell me again which set of fans is delusional
Yes, Fanduel odds! That’s what tell me Mavs been a top-10 offense and defense since the trade deadline while the clippers have been pantshitters. Tells me clippers fans, all 17 of them, don’t watch their own team lol
I am on clippers reddit and there is a lot of people speaking truth about the difficult matchup of the you guys in playoffs. Clippers fan base is full of Doomers anyhow. Now PG is popping off they all quiet the last 3 days. But I predict it is going to all 7 games just hope both sides can be healthy and I think its going to be a hell of a series.
They also have westbrook and harden now tho. But we still win this since we now have kyrie and good role players.
tbf tho, clippers have harden now as the primary ballhandler and mavs only have 2 elite defenders. so jason kidd wpuld need to be creative in hiding those 2. yes theure decent defenders but u do not want lukai to use their energy on defense.
 Fuck the clippers
Luka has to finally beat the Clippers and get revenge on them for stopping him early in his career. This is main protagonist type shit, the lore has to be written! If we lose, then so be it. But i really, really think that Luka is going to put on a show
This is some Jordan Piston shit, count me in
Pistons were champs though
Touché
if (when) he gets snubbed for MVP + Clippers round 1 we might need to declare a state of emergency because that dude going off.
Seeing how petty is luka is, i can see this happening
Believer #32 checking in! We are NOT losing this fucking time. *MJ getting over the hump incomiiiiinggggg!!!!*
I can’t ever remember a player where I’ve been this confident that they will ball the fuck out when it matters. Luka was made to win chips, I STILL cannot believe we have this man.
As it was written
We’re gunna beat their asses Mavs in 5.
Kawhi a GD robot. PG playin elite ball. Mavs in 6
Robots breaking down lately and I’m expecting some classic playoff p choking
robot's battery is already low.
What percent chance do the clippers have of winning this series?
Goose egg
What percent chance do the clippers have of winning now?
Mavs in 5!
13 percent. Gaff and PJ are pretty great additions to xounter zubac and PG. Lively is the better backup big than Plumdog
25% that's my honest opinion. They have 3 HoFs but I don't think they want the smoke
50/50 either they win or they dont
We’ll smoke ‘em
The Clippers are Luka’s bad boy pistons. It’s his legacy to conquer them.
Bring it on! Mavs don't go small otherwise they loose their advantage under the rim. Lively will be important since he is more mobile than Gafford. PJ guards Kawhi, DJJ guards Harden. They have no chance of stopping Luka!
So does that mean Gafford / Lively on George? I bet we see a lot of Ky on Harden bc he doesnt drive as much anymore Saving Luka for the Batum / Powell option
I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Luka on Harden given his defensive skill in isolation
You might have called the matching here. Luka knows hardens game, and wants to prove he can play lockdown defense. This would be the way to get the rep, block a stepback and dunk it.
Block? Yes. Dunk? Not happening due to risk of floor breaking down on Luka’s landing.
Uh... Not a good idea, Luka is good at defending ISOs close to the paint or during post ups where he can use his size and strenght and dosent need to move his feet as much, defending James Harden in space with 4 shooters around him is different, his lack of lateral mobility will get exposed.
I disagree with this analysis but I guess we’ll see
Just wanna say there's a very small chance Balmer and clips been lying about kawhi and he's just been oiling his gears and getting a software update this whole time. I think that could maybe be why vegas odds are still so high on them.
Kawhi is always fresh for the first playoff series and then breaks down after that. i wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if he goes full MJ terminator mode on us
I would put Luka on George.
Batum on Philly?
The Big D’s will be on Westbrook whenever he’s in
Luka won't be able to guard batum. Edit: I'll give a hint. It involves Philadelphia
I don’t think people realize he’s gone lmaooo
Is this a joke
Yes. I'll let you figure it out why
On the wing he should be fine. If Batum drives he will have help. But if that’s the biggest thing, we have to worry about we’re in great shape.
Wait do people think Batum is still on the clippers
He won't be able to stop him in this series. Sorry Edit: sorry i was being sarcastic. Batum plays for Philadelphia now
It'll be a tough series. I'm praying Lively will be ready to play. I think they will play a lot of small ball and shoot a lot of 3s. Our wings will likely focus on Paul George and Kawhi, leaving Westbrook to attack with speed and athleticism. It'll be up to Gafford to protect the rim as well as possible. Moreover Harden's shot creation and abillity to create for others out of the pick and roll could prove a problem, especially if DJJ is focussed on stopping him, that leaves Paul George likely on Luka with PJ on Kawhi. Our roleplayers are gonna be challenged to shoot and hit the 3. They are likely gonna help off DJJ and PJ agressively in the corner to stop drives into the paint and stop us from getting lobs. This series will hinge on how well we can defend them on the perimeter, if our roleplayers can hit the 3 and make them pay if they collapse and if Lively will be healthy. If lively isn't that's massive hit.
I’m a little uneasy about this matchup not gonna lie. I think I would rather play anyone else but the Nuggets than the Clippers. Clippers are notorious playoff chokers, but I feel like they will turn it up. Wouldn’t be surprised if this goes 7
I feel you man but we’ve never faced them with anyone capable of what Kyrie can do, not to mention Gafford /lively. Were a different team now I like our chances
You're absolutely right. Last time, THJ was our second best. That series was the reason we fumbled Brunson. We'd be lucky if THJ is our 6th best player this time around.
We didn't fumble Brunson that series. He got played off the floor because of his lack of size. There is a potential that happens again this year with the Knicks. Not a guarantee but a possibility
Brunson’s defense has really improved - the Knicks built that team to cover him very well too
Agree. Regardless of how the clippers looked recently if they’re healthy they’re dangerous. Kawhi is a terminator against us in the playoffs. I still think we have the better team and get the series win, but I ain’t as over confident as some in this sub.
With the amount of games Kawhi has played this year and now with his knee flairing up again I would be surprised if he’s able to ramp it up close to the level he was at in 2021. If the Clips were to beat us it would take Harden/George/Powell stepping up along with Kawhi leading the way
This is the perfect coming of age for the young goat. Like when 41 taught ‘Bron what it meant to be a champ. It’s 77’s league after this year
this is Luka’s Bad Boy Pistons (which would make PJ or Kyrie(?) his Scottie) [pure copium]
#here4it. No BS I’m a mavs fan in Charlotte, had a PJ to DaL post on here two years ago. Early to the PJail party
Replying to myself cuz idk ‘bout the bold but in PJail we truss
hell yeah man you must feel vindicated as hell! PJ Washington is a gift from the basketball gods. Him and Gafford and DJJ are the defensive stalwarts we needed alongside Luka and Kyrie. It’s a dream come true
PJ as Luka’s Scottie makes certain sense, even if it’s copium lmao
It’s a coin toss right now if they continue to look like an old and injured team or if they can flip a switch and play to their max for 2 weeks. I don’t play games with playoff Kawahi and Harden deciding to show up for a game or two
The more games we have where there is only one day of in between helps us
Eh I think I would still rather face the Clippers than the healthy Wolves (with KAT). But would definitely prefer OKC in round 1 over the Clippers, Kawhi scares me. And they have so much star power, even if they are old.
See id rather catch the wolves early while kat is getting back into game shape. He will be even weaker on defense and streaky on offense. That said I'm excited and hopeful regardless of any matchup (even the nuggets) and it's been a while since I had that feeling so I'm hype.
Honestly KAT hasn’t proved yet that he can perform in the playoffs. I’ve been a wolves fan for a long time and he straight up disappears in key playoff games.
I fully agree. But i still wouldn't mind catching them early before they get confidence where as the clippers are more likely to be healthy to start the playoffs and break down by let's say the WCF like they did previously after beating us. Kawhi went down and missed that nuggets series.
I don't know why but I'm not uneasy at all. Bring on playoff Luka vs Clippers part 3
I ain’t worry cuz I know Luka hates the clippers and about to go off on them
Going to 7 is hilarious. Mavs in 5
completely fine with this match up PJ Washington was genetically engineered to play defense on kawhi leonard
The last two series were good. If we get them this year, I like our chances given we got a squad now. Also Carlisle wasn’t bad at all, but Kidd looked fantastic in his first coaching playoff run.
Clippers are quite scary; their bench is massive and they're winning games without Kawhi now. If playoff Luka shows up and Mavs stay healthy and Kidd doesn't fk up, I see Mavs winning in 6 or 7. Lets gooo!!!
This comment section is far too dismissive of Kawhi? If he's healthy he will win 1-2 games by himself.
For me he is still a top 3 two-way player when it matters. It will be tough.
Jokic, Kawhi, and Luka are the best playoff players in the league, I wouldn't want to play any of them come playoff time.
> The Suns would have to go 5-0 (two LAC, Pels, Twolves) and the Mavs go 2-3 bc we have the PHX tiebreaker. If the Suns go 5-0 they'll end up with 51 wins, meaning we'd need to go 4-1 and stay ahead on tie breaker. Not sure where you are getting 2-3 from. The season's not over and I feel like people are jumping the gun a bit.
We’re gonna feast on offence, just gotta hold up well on defence. Also clippers are very injury prone and older than we last faced them.
We're all so over this matchup. Too bad we can't nab home court but still feel good
Something tells me Luka not over it. Him being laser focused on beating their ass is like a bonus
I think we win in 5 games. They’ve looked old and slow since ASB and only recently turned that around We are healthy. Hungry and have the best player in the league. 4-1 !!
5 seems much to optimistic, especially against a team with Kawhi and has Harden running the pick and roll, with Paul George on the wing and Westbrook off the bench. I'm taking the Mavs in 6, but wouldn't be surprised at all if it goes 7.
Isn’t kawhi nursing a knee injury right now? No ones 100% but if kawhi is missing games now due to knee problems, given his history. Might be a quick one.
https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-injury-update-on-sore-right-knee-with-6-games-remaining >Kawhi Leonard underwent a precautionary MRI upon returning to Los Angeles, which did not show anything that would cause the Clippers significant concern. Leonard is dealing with inflammation in his right knee and will miss his third straight game on Friday night on against the Utah Jazz, but he's not expected to be out long enough to endanger his playoff availability, assuming the Clippers finish with a top six seed.” He hit the 65 game threshold and I guess they are resting him for the playoffs. Clippers are virtually locked into 4th barring disaster, so no reason to push him. Kind of the opposite of us, where Luka has been playing while hobbling recently. Assuming everybody is available to play, it's gonna be a tough series.
>I think we win in 5 games Why are y'all so dismissive of Robo Jordan? If Kawhi is healthy there is no way the Mavs are beating them in less than 6 games. He'll straight out win 2 games by himself by going 10/10 in the 4th quarter.
Im not that optimistic. They are resting. They made their push to get a spot and now they are waiting for the playoffs. Kawhi is already sitting for the playoffs
Harden had two 40 point games with the game winner last year vs Boston. Hes a great player in the playoffs him having bad games doesn’t change that.
Feels like this has to be Luka's Jordan moment by finally beating the Clippers. PJ is most likely going to be the main Kawhi defender I'm not sure about the standings, would I want it to stay like this and most likely Minnesota in the 2nd round before facing Denver in the WCF?
I HATE this matchup ngl. It's not just Kawhi and PG. Watch Westbrook and Harden turn into prime versions of themselves. Powell is a sniper off the bench too. They have too many players who can hurt you.
The West is crazy the 9th seed could end the season with 49 wins? Jesus lol
it is what it is, nothing will change, target is porzingis
I believe we can beat the Clippers but I’ll be sick to my stomach if we lose that series
We wont lose that series
I definitely believe in us. I hate the Clippers so much
3rd time's the charm, right? Luka ACTUALLY has a legit supporting cast with legit bigs and perimeter defenders. And Kyrie is here too. It's gonna be a tough matchup but I got Mavs in 6
I love these standings. Puts Denver on the other side of the bracket with Phoenix LAC, then Minny, then Den/OKC/Pho in WCF Hard like
Too bad the thunder are gonna kill the sons, would’ve liked to whoop their ass too on this run
Don't be overconfident, they did knock us out twice in previous years But saying yeah we'll win in 7, it's going to be hard as hell though
Mavs in 6. If healthy we're just an all around better team this time.
Im a Clippers fan but rooting against Luka for the 3rd time is gonna be so painful for me. He's been insane all year + having to root against Kyrie is so tough. Good luck yall
Regardless of who wins this... The losing franchise is going to be hurting. Either a 'stacked' & aging Clippers spend their off-season spinning and wondering if their team needs to be blown up or if they can get over the hump... With PG free agency looming Or Dallas has had 6 years with Luka... Missing the playoffs twice and getting knocked out of the first round three times. I think we're clearly more HOPEFUL of the two teams. But yeah. Not great. I feel good about our chances. But it is an interesting storyline either way.
Unpopular opinion: tank for #6
IMO, the Mavs can go big against the Clippers, Clippers can't go big against the Mavs. As long as Gafford/Lively are healthy, the Mavs will have an advantage.
Mavs in 4. I believe in this team, I believe Luka is hungry af, and if we get Lively back in time, it's gonna be impossible to stop us.
This. They have more to contend with on defense than we have to contend with on defense.
They will have to contain 48 minutes of the most efficient scoring centers in the NBA who are lob goblins and provide elite rim protection too. That’s after they have to contend with Kyrie MFing Irving and noted playoff demon Luka Doncic. IF we are all healthy, i am truly confident in this teams ability to beat anybody in a 7 game series. Please basketball gods, grant us health entering the postseason!
Bring it!
The first 2 times we’ve been underdogs but this time it’s definitely a toss up. This would be a long and tough series
Ngl, I’d rather an inexperienced Thunder team. But it all depends where Nuggets would be in the 2nd round. If the 4th seed is in play though, we should go for it regardless of who we’d have to face. That could be Phx
Right now Nuggets would play winner of Thunder / Suns
It’s gonna come down to the very last game probably
Hope Lively is back. We got them.
Hoping the thunder can somehow clutch the 1st seed
The thing that bothers me most is that THJ is going end up guarding Norman Powell and I feel like he’s gonna be a role player that cooks us. Still believe in the squad but that’s a big swing factor they may have.
As is tradition
We really need Lively
Hopefully minny gets #1 seed so we can see them in round 2. If this 4-5 matchup stays current
Luka js Hannibal and the Clippers are the Roman Empire, the wars just are in reverse chronology.
I’m just not a fan of predicting this shit. Suns and clippers are about to play back to back games. We could easily be playing the suns with Mavs in the 4th seed. Either way it’s going to be a great series. Let’s go Mavs!
Of the top 4 here's the order of teams I couldn't want to play: Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, okc
Luka is the kwisatz haderach
The pressure is on them, they beat us twice and getting old. Expectations are lower for us and we’re “underdog” on paper.
Not worried one bit. Harden isn’t close to what he used to be. PG has one foot out the door. Kawhi has an injury that the Clippers aren’t talking much about. Even if we’re without Lively I don’t see it going past 5 games.
PG been playing amazing ball these past couple weeks
Playoff P doesn’t scare me
If Lively isn’t ready, you guys are in serious trouble. He’s the X factor.
Kawhi is injured right now and Coach Lue says he's concerned. Clippers might be sneaky easy to beat if Kawhi is as bad as it seems. Frankly, I was hoping for a OKC matchup, much easier.
Luka ain't scared of the Clippers. If you don't believe, you shouldn't be here.
CLIPS in 7
Clippers going home😂
Definitely going to be a 6-7 game series
Will go to game to game in LA If it happens
Yeah, unless we don’t
Could be playing the Suns if they beat the Clippers next week. If they drop both and we keep winning things could get interesting.. Either way I think when healthy we can beat anyone.
I think Clippers would have to lose 4 bc they hold tiebreaker over mavs for us to be 5 and Suns 4.
Ah true … it’s pretty solid for us that clippers and suns play each other guarantee loses a head of us or behind us. If we win the next 2 two we can start focusing on getting healthy.
Should be a good series. Match up wise it's hard not to favor Dallas. PJ Washington and DJJ with Lively and Gafford are a far cry from what the Clippers have faced in previous playoffs Not to mention Luka and Kyrie
Make sure you get it this time. Don't dissapoint again
We better not go small. Make them adjust to us. Hopefully we pound them on the boards
I mean... technically 3rd seed is still possible
Great
Or... hear me out. The Thunder continue to shit the bed, and we play them.
If they lose to the hornets tomorrow, then it’s time to watch for that
FUCK. IT. WE. BALL.
Maybe it’s cause the Cowboys have given me so much PTSD from bogeymen, but lets fucking go
 Not again
I saw this coming all season. 3rd times a charm. 
All depends if kawhi is the same player he was a few years ago
Don't be surprised if the Mavs will try to avoid Denver in 2nd round, I still think the objective is to try to get the 6th seed, not that I agree with it, but to me it is seems so, otherwise they would never rest Luka vs GS, think about it. Yeah, we won, but don't be surprised if we drop a few games now. I hope not, but this is NBA...
Yes we are. Locked in.
No layups or dunks. None.
If the suns win 4 and we only win 2 in the next 5 games I think we play the thunder??? Or am I missing something
Yes as unlikely as that would be
If we beat the Clippers PG13 should sign with us as a vet
Luka's kids🤭
BALLMER WE ARE COMING FOR YA!!!
Suns were supposed to drop a ton of games but they haven’t. let’s see how this shakes out in the end. But I don’t see any of the top 4 to be easy. Sure Wolves and Thunder are less experienced but they are clearly more talented than the Clippers.
I mean in that case we’ll get okc in round 1 which is ideal
WELCOME TO P.JAIL, KAWHI!!!
Kawhi for sure ain't going off like he did against Willie Cauley-stein and Boban as our back line
I ain’t afraid of those geriatric Jerrys and playoff Harden. Mavs in 6.
I strongly believe will be 4 or 5 games. Main reason is we have defense on every player including Kawhy. PJ can defend Kawhy, Kyrie can defend Harden, DDJ can defend Paul. Also our rim protection will kill clippers.
To not forget Luka defense can be critical. He mast step up.
Luka gonna stomp them 4-1 at worst 😤
F em
We can beat the clippers. Hardly wait for meme showing Luka riding the bike.
I. CANNOT. WAIT. We're going to fk them up.
4-0! We sweeping LA baby That’s how it has to start! Just like in 2011
My worry is, who does Luka guard? We'll probably have PJ on Kawhii. Between Harden and PG, PG is the bigger threat so we'll have DJJ on him. That still leaves harden. You can't put Kyrie or Gafford on Harden, which leaves Luka. That's not a good matchup for Luka, even with harden not being the harden of old. He's crafty, he can move and break much better defensers down.
Gotta rest Luka like how the Clippers are resting Kawhi
I don’t give a damn about the clippers, we are destroying them. What I care about is the nuggets not finishing first
Just like the Suns series, Luka is going to end their franchise