Post by Grizzlies GM (Royce) on Feb 13, 2023 16:23:18 GMT -5
#1 Portland Trail Blazers (25-4) vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks (21-8)
Can the Mavericks make it 3 upsets in a row, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers? Both of these teams have taken difficult paths to get to where they're at now in the loaded West. Portland defeated the upset hungry Warriors and a Grizzlies team that many thought was the second best team in the West. The Mavericks went through Minnesota and New Orleans, two of the top teams in the West the last few years. Both teams and GMs are more than deserving of their first finals appearance, but only one can go through.
Starting with Portland - the Trail Blazers are known for their "studs and duds" team build and they have 14 combined games from Jokic, Vucevic, and Lillard this round. That is absolutely ridiculous. Looking past the big 3, Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford, and even Shaedon Sharpe have all been playing great ball recently with multiple 30 FP spots. Oh and we can't forget Marcus Smart is still on the mend after his ankle sprain. There are reports that Smart may not return until post ASB, but that would still give him 2 games and we all know every point matters at this stage. It's no surprise that Portland is the favorite to come out of this game.
If there was one team that can take on the sheer number of games Portland's studs have, it's the Mavericks. Dallas has 5 Donovan Mitchell games and 5 (potential) games from MPJ as well as Murray. Notice, I wrote the word potential since both guys have missed their fair share of games this season especially Jamal as of late. If Jamal still can't give it a go before the break, it's going to be really tough for Dallas especially with the run he was on pre-injury. Of course, the Mavericks strength as a team is depth and that's why they've been able to get to where they are today.
Trail Blazers X-factor: If Marcus Smart plays, it's a wrap
Mavericks X-factor: Will Jamal Murray play? If so, how much?
Caleb's pick: Blazers
Tyler's pick: Blazers
Sarge's pick:
Skip's pick: Trail Blazers