Warriors vs Mavericks: What does it cost the Mavericks to upset the Suns? Why not go with the title favorites? According to Vegas, the Warriors are now the team to beat. The Mavs will once again be the underdog in this matchup. To win the Jazz, they were marginally worse than a coin toss. They expected to lose badly to the Suns. Luka Doncic will be their best player in the series. Will that be enough?
The key matchup
It’ll be Doncic vs. the rest of the world. Doncic’s efficiency helped the Mavericks win the season series 3-1. In those matchups, the Warriors threw all they had at him. After that, Andrew Wiggins was given the bulk of the duties and could not complete them. Only one of those games featured Draymond Green, and it was a rout. On the other hand, Steve Kerr went after Doncic with Klay Thompson, Gary Payton II, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Jonathan Kuminga. Furthermore, none of them stood a chance of slowing him down. In the second round, the Warriors had similar trouble stopping Ja Morant. They have vulnerable defenders who have exploited, and the Mavs did matchup-hunt for Doncic against the Suns at times. For years to come, Jordan Poole will have nightmares about defending Doncic.
Warriors vs Mavericks series schedule
The 2022 Western Conference Finals schedule is listed below:
| Date | Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| May 18 | Game 1 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| May 20 | Game 2 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| May 22 | Game 3 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| May 24 | Game 4 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| May 26 | Game 5* | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| May 28 | Game 6* | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| May 30 | Game 7* | 8 p.m. | TNT |
Series odds for Warriors vs Mavericks
- Warriors: -255
- Mavericks: +215
The X-factor
Warriors
On the offensive, how aggressive will Draymond Green be? In the Warriors’ Game 6 victory against the Grizzlies, he finally shot the ball, making a postseason-high 14 field goal attempts. He’s only attempted 5.1 shots per game in the team’s other ten games and has frequently missed open layups. Also, Green’s value as a screener, passer, and defender will always be essential for his game. He does have to keep the defenses honest.
Mavericks
The Mavericks’ X-factor is Spencer Dinwiddie. The squad needs to take some time away from Doncic’s offensive duties. Dinwiddie was outstanding in Game 7 against the Suns. He also demonstrated how dangerous the Mavericks could be when adding scoring punch from the bench.
Match Predictions
The Warriors are the most appealing option, but this isn’t the same team. It was also the case in prior versions or even at the start of the year. Curry has been great, but his shooting hasn’t yet reached the level of previous seasons. Thompson continues to shoot the ball well from beyond the circle. But, since his injuries, he’s been forcing a lot of pull-ups. It attempts inside the line and hasn’t been the same defender. After the game, Wiggins’ output decreased considerably.
Lastly, Green’s aggressiveness has also fallen. Furthermore, the Mavericks had hidden throughout the season. It doesn’t have a quality backup to Doncic, but does it matter when he’s been so good? While the Warriors have more significant potential, their play in the NBA Playoffs has been inconsistent. The Mavericks have also been playing at an unbelievable level. And I’m going against the trend and picking the Mavericks in seven games.
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