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Matt from Mavs Central contacted us to ask a few questions about the matchup. Here are his questions and my answers along with the best answers from the forum, because as we all know, I don't know squat about basketball. 1) How does it feel to be back in the playoffs again?
Completely alien, not sure how to behave, feel or act. I have been to a giants world series game, many sharks playoff games, and a niners superbowl, but have never been to a Warriors playoff game.
2) Nellie did a lot to start the foundation for this Mavs team, but what does he mean to the Warriors team, fans, and organization?
Nellie brings legitimacy to the franchise. Something no other coach has really been able to bring. He is really the 6th man of the year. A master strategist, he exploits match ups and makes opposing coaches look silly.
3) What?s the mood with Warrior fans when it comes to the Mavs and this series? a) I am happy we made the playoffs but we will lose to the Mavs even though we have beaten them this season. b) It should be a close series that could go either way. c) We have dominated the Mavs the past two seasons and should be able to beat them in 5-6 games.
I think B, we have had good luck with the Mavs over the past few seasons. The match ups are there and if you were going to pick an elite team that the Warriors could play well against it would be the Mavs. San Antonio would be a complete disaster, we would probably be swept. The Mavs have it in them to win the series, but it will come down to their composure and coaching.
4) The key to this series for Golden State to win is??
Baron Davis, the Warriors go as he goes. Can he continue to play within himself, distribute the ball, post up, or will he return to his 3 point chucking ways. Worst case scenario is the Warriors struggle a bit, get down a few points and Baron starts to chuck deep 3's. If he can focus on distributing the ball and getting to the hoop, especially late in games then we can win.
5) The key to this series for Dallas to win is?..
Hmm, not sure really. Probably their back court and bench.
6) Who will be the ?X-factor? in this series?
Biedrins, he has faded a bit for the Warriors as they have gone small. He is quicker and longer than Dampier and should be able to get easy baskets inside, plus deliver some blocks in the paint. His offensive rebounding will be a big key to keeping the Warriors offense flowing.
7) When it is all said and done, who wins and in how many games?
Dallas in 6, Warriors just don't have the experience and need a little more seasoning. Best of the forum answers: You can see the original thread here . Question 1: Being a long suffering Warriors fan since the Run TMC days, it's a feeling akin to winning the championships. We're happy just to have made it with an incredible 16 wins out of 21 (.762 winning record) to finish the season. We'll savor just making the playoffs for some time.
It's a lot better than tanking, getting the worst record in the NBA, and winding up with the #5 pick. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO finding the right words are tough but the fans here have been loyal for so long, they deserve a taste of the playoffs for nothing less than the team owing it to them Relieving. After 13 years, the ever-increasing pressure is finally off. Great! Californians, Bay Area residents especially are proud people and to have a team with such a personality represent the region, they couldn't be happier. Question 2: He is the face of this organization. Despite the championship season, Nelson was always the face on the franchise and his style.
The biggest thing is everyone trusts the guy (fans and players alike) and his approach is quite entertaining. After all, this is all entertainment. He gives the W's credibility. He is a great game planner and gives the team and fans hope that they can succeed vs. the Mavs. His success has taken away some of the blight of the Cohan ownership.
Well, before Dallas, Don Nelson was the Warriors head coach during the 1993 - 1994 season when we made the playoffs last. However, after the season and losing the playoffs in round one, he had personnel issues with star player Chris Webber, and Nellie ended up trading him and the team's fortunes have gone south since. Thus, it was very fortuitous for the Warriors and their fans when GM Chris Mullin was able to convince Nellie out of retirement and return to coaching the Warriors. With the miraculous 16 - 5 finish to end the season and earn the 8th and final spot in the playoffs, it means the Warriors have indeed come full circle with Don Nelson. For most Warriors fans, the team has only ever been successful with Nellie at the helm. The last time he was here we were in the playoffs; he left for over a decade and we made it NOT ONCE, and as soon as he returns we're right back in again. The fans love him, the players adore him, and the organization just needs him. He is the big daddy. The guy who runs the show.
He had to come back and bring order back to this once proud franchise. Question 3: Mostly b. The Warriors are underdogs, but they will put up a fight. Hopefully they can push it back to Oakland for Game 6 and go from there. Answer? D. ALL OF THE ABOVE. Happy we're in but given the situation, many are hopeful that there can be an upset given the personnel. A team like San Antonio would leave us selecting answer "A" as they would destroy this team in a blink of an eye (not taking anything away from Dallas) but the lack of a true post player makes this a good series for the Warriors to be in. Somewhere between a) and b). There is every possiblity the Mavs come out loaded for bear and take it in 4 or 5 games. Gimmick defenses vs. Nowitski won't work in a series; talent wins out and the Mavs definitely have an edge there. However, the W's have been hot the last 20+ games, so fans are wondering which W's squad is real. I think it's Mavs in 6, but I don't think I'd have the guts to bet that way. I would say A right after the Warriors made it, but since they are in the playoffs, the mood (hope) is changing towards B. Question 4: The key for the Warriors is to force the Mavs into uncomfortable situations: Harris shooting from the perimeter, Damp creating a shot inside, Dirk passing through three guys draped around him. They can't guard Dallas straight up, so they have double-team and trap and hope to take away the Mavs' primary options.
And then they have to hit their threes. If the Warriors get hot from outside, they will absolutely win some games.
Push the ball.
Baron Davis
Same energized D. Get out on the break, deny the ball to Nowitski, crash the boards, and shoot well from 3 pt. territory. Warriors could give the Mavs some problems if Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington, and Matt Barnes or Mikael Pietrus off the bench are hitting their outside and 3-pt shots. It seems Dallas has a difficult time trying to cover the perimeter in a running game. The Warriors will try to force Dallas into playing their running tempo. Playing the way we did to end the season. Forcing the Mavs to play our style of ball. Question 5: Dallas should look to force the Warriors into shooting SOLELY from the perimeter - even though they're capable of making those shots, that's not a good strategy overall for the W's. Beyond that, they need to be patient, rotate the ball on offense and dominate the boards. The trick will be to control the glass without getting abused by Nellie's smaller, faster offense. Warriors going cold on the perimeter Use their height to get the rebounding, inside scoring and interior defense advantage, stop the W's break, try to slow down the tempo. Well, they have more talented players and a better bench as demonstrated by the Mavs almost winning the championships last year and their tremendous record this year. Against the Warriors, Dallas could take control if they are able to establish boards early and wear the Warriors down. I would guess they play physical inside and try to grind the Warriors down. Getting Jax in early foul trouble. Question 6: The X-factor in this series is Monta Ellis. He has the quickness to bother both of Dallas' point guards, and he's obviously a threat to score at any moment. But will his jumpshot be falling? Will he pick up quick fouls? Will turnovers be a problem? When Ellis is in a groove he's often the best player on the court, but he's prone to making mistakes as well. What version will we see this series?
DEVIN HARRIS. He will either make or break the Mavs depending on how he is attacked and how he responds. On the W's, I'd go with a well rested Biedrins. He can be an offensive rebounding machine, can change shots in the paint defensively, and has great quickness. My first thought was Coach Nelson because he changes things up so much, but Avery knows him, so the coaches are evenly matched. Thus, I would have to go with Erick Dampier, an ex-Warrior who's the starting center now for the Mavs. I dunno -- is he even playing? I'm guessing he'll be fired up to meet his former team in the playoffs, especially since most Warriors fans rode his jock and thought he was an underachieving center. Monta Ellis is Superman! Question 7: This is tough to answer; as mentioned above, the Warriors are clearly underdogs, but I think they have a good shot. If they can steal one of the first two in Dallas, I'm saying Golden State in seven. Otherwise, Dallas in six. Hopeful fan say 6 games, Warriors.
Intelligent fan says 6 games, Mavs.
Too difficult of a question, ask something else, like how about "why is the sky blue?" Mavs, 6 Dallas would have to be heavily favored. The Mavs in five.
Still, I hope it will be an entertaining series and not just a blow out by the Mavs. They're favored and with good reason, but if the Warriors could get it down to a one game series, they could pull off an upset of the decade. Warriors in 6. |
