Mavs to miss playoffs?

[JAY]

with 7 games to go, they are in 7th in the west.

denver is one game back and g-state is 2 game back. (the mavs beat them last night)



denver and g-st have to play each other one more time, but each of them still get to play 4 bad teams (kings, clippers, sonics, grizzlies). each team only has to play 2 more good teams.


the mavs have to play:


lakers
suns
sonics
jazz
blazers
sonics
hornets

4 of the games are on the road and the two games with seattle are the only games against bad teams. dallas has won two in a row, but had lost 5 of their last 6. with dirk not 100%, they might be out of the playoffs. they probably need to win at least 4 of their remaining games to get in.

the hornets (as a #1 seed or as a #2 seed) are likely to play one of the above three teams in the first round.

[olddog75]

MAVS will make the payoffs -- but probably won't last long.

Fri 04 @ LA Lakers
Sun 06 @ Phoenix
Tue 08 vs Seattle
Thu 10 vs Utah
Sat 12 @ Portland
Sun 13 @ Seattle
Wed 16 vs New Orleans

They should go 4-3, with Utah as the swing game. Either way Golden State won't pass the Mavericks. If the Mavs and GS tie, the Mvs get in as they won the season series.

[Bigdog13]

MAVS will make the payoffs -- but probably won't last long.

Fri 04 @ LA Lakers
Sun 06 @ Phoenix
Tue 08 vs Seattle
Thu 10 vs Utah
Sat 12 @ Portland
Sun 13 @ Seattle
Wed 16 vs New Orleans

They should go 4-3, with Utah as the swing game. Either way Golden State won't pass the Mavericks. If the Mavs and GS tie, the Mvs get in as they won the season series.

They might go out in the first round. I wouldn't be shocked if they made it to the WCF either.

Popovic was saying the other day how this year there will be no upsets in the West despite the seeding. He said this is the first time since he was a coach that the #8 seed will be almost as good or as good as the #1 seed. The entire West is awesome. Let's be honest, if Dallas who was in the Finals 2 years ago, and won 67 games last year wins their first round matchup is it really that big of an upset? I don't think so. Hell the 8th seed in the West would probably be the 3rd seed in the East. The West is just very, very, tough.

Plus remember this recent losing streak was almost all very close games that could have gone either way. It'll be interesting to see how they finish. I wouldn't be shocked if they fell on their face or went all the way.

[inudesu]

Hollinger doesn't think they are that bad off. I'd like to think he is right.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...orecast-080403

[TYLERTECHSAS]

And the New Orleans Hornets are leading the conference!!!!!!

What say you Mav fans now?








Sorry but I couldn't help it.

[Bigdog13]

And the New Orleans Hornets are leading the conference!!!!!!

What say you Mav fans now?








Sorry but I couldn't help it.

Who cares what Mavs fans say? They aren't rivals!!!!!!!!!!

[TYLERTECHSAS]

Who cares what Mavs fans say? They aren't rivals!!!!!!!!!!

[Bigdog13]

Laugh all you want but as much as you want to turn this into a rivalry for your own message board purposes it isn't. The fact of the matter is that most Mavs fans on this board would like to see NO do well, including me. So after the Mavs are eliminated I will be pulling for NO if they are still in it. As long as they aren't playing Dallas I wish the Hornets well.

[jlam]

I was one of those of the opinion that, as of about a week ago, I was hoping the Mavs squeeked into the playoffs as the 8 seed while the Hornets held down the 1 because the Mavs didn't worry me as much in a first round matchup as Golden State and Denver did. Now, meh, notsomuch.

Dallas was never a bad team before or after the Kidd trade, but they hadn't been finishing big games well. Looks like they may be coming around a bit in that regard.

I know the term "parity" is often overused in sports theses days, but it really is unbelievable how close all the playoff teams are going to be to each other. Everyone will present some sort of matchup problem with everyone else, which is why I'm not really fretting over it anymore. Sure Dirk and Howard might give N.O. fits, but Kidd can't stay with Paul to save his life. Sure Denver and GS score tons of points, but it's ragged and neither play solid defense while N.O. plays very good defense in spurts. It goes both ways and it's impossible to tell what's going to unfold over the course of a seven game series.

[inudesu]

I was one of those of the opinion that, as of about a week ago, I was hoping the Mavs squeeked into the playoffs as the 8 seed while the Hornets held down the 1 because the Mavs didn't worry me as much in a first round matchup as Golden State and Denver did. Now, meh, notsomuch.

Dallas was never a bad team before or after the Kidd trade, but they hadn't been finishing big games well. Looks like they may be coming around a bit in that regard.

I know the term "parity" is often overused in sports theses days, but it really is unbelievable how close all the playoff teams are going to be to each other. Everyone will present some sort of matchup problem with everyone else, which is why I'm not really fretting over it anymore. Sure Dirk and Howard might give N.O. fits, but Kidd can't stay with Paul to save his life. Sure Denver and GS score tons of points, but it's ragged and neither play solid defense while N.O. plays very good defense in spurts. It goes both ways and it's impossible to tell what's going to unfold over the course of a seven game series.

Guess we are going to find out. I have to admit, after last year's playoffs I am a little gunshy - but I am excited to see who can fight their way out of the West. I'd say the Mavs have as much chance as anybody else.

[jlam]

Guess we are going to find out. I have to admit, after last year's playoffs I am a little gunshy - but I am excited to see who can fight their way out of the West. I'd say the Mavs have as much chance as anybody else.

Hornets in five. Regular season is over and along with it the time for reasonable, objective analysis.

Commence ridiculously optomistic homer posting.

:icon_wink:

[GermDawg]

First thing that came to my mind when I read the title to this thread:

God, I hope so!

GO SPURS GO!!!

[Bigdog13]

First thing that came to my mind when I read the title to this thread:

God, I hope so!

GO SPURS GO!!!

I think the West is up for grabs but I honestly think the Spurs would destroy N.O. or Dallas if they met them in the playoffs right now. Now Dallas did beat Phoenix in Phoenix yesterday so I still have a glimmer of hope. If they can put together a nice run to end the season that momentum might help them in the playoffs. We will see. If I were a betting man I would be betting on the Spurs. But like Popovich said there will be no upsets in the West this year. Anyone can beat anyone.

[inudesu]

My wife and I are going to Mavs/Seattle tomorrow. Ought to be a good chance to cut that magic number a little bit. I wish it was the Thursday game (Paul and the Jazz) but for obvious reasons Tuesday was cheaper and easier to get tickets to. I'm afraid that whoever does make it through the West is going to meet a well-rested and healthy Celtics or Pistons team and not have anything left in the tank.

[Bigdog13]

My wife and I are going to Mavs/Seattle tomorrow. Ought to be a good chance to cut that magic number a little bit. I wish it was the Thursday game (Paul and the Jazz) but for obvious reasons Tuesday was cheaper and easier to get tickets to. I'm afraid that whoever does make it through the West is going to meet a well-rested and healthy Celtics or Pistons team and not have anything left in the tank.

Well I agree the first 2 rounds should be easy for them. But make no mistake about it, The Pistons/Celtics series is going to be a physical, brutal, war that will more than likely go 7 games. We just gotta hope Orlando or Cleveland gives them a series in round 2. Lebron won't go down easy.