2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #5 Dallas Mavericks (DAL leads 3-2)

[ChipotleWest]

With both THJ and Maxi Kleber out, this might be a short series; OKC in 5?

THJ has not been ruled out even of Game 1 as far as I know. I'm more worried about Luka's sprain knee than either of them anyway. Those are just role players hurts our depth but playoffs have shorter rotations anyway.

Luka
Kyrie
Washington
Jones Jr.
Gafford

Starting lineup in tact

Lively
Green
Exum

If Hardaway comes back that's 9. If not might need someone like Jaden Hardy or Markieff Morris to provide a few minutes. Hopefully they don't try to play Dwight Powell.

[slick_watts]

dallas attempts the most corner threes of every team in the nba and the thunder allow the most. the way the thunder cover pnr, especially with lob threats around, is putting chet in drop, help from the perimeter, and (hopefully) rotate. that doesn't always happen, and luka is the master at finding shooters in this situation. when the thunder defense is on its game 100% the rotations are there and they have the athletes to make it happen. but when it's not, you get the february 10th game when the mavs had open threes for days

dallas has played the 'giddey defense' during the regular season, putting luka on him and letting luka do the paint dance and contribute to the wall keeping out jalen williams and shai. the thunder punished the pelicans for doing this when giddey made some threes and willie green went away from it. i don't expect dallas to be moved by any three point makes from giddey. they'll continually challenge the thunder with this defense whenever giddey is on the court. in the NOP series shai showed some tendency to try and force things when his teammates were missing them.

i think i still have okc in 7. luka doesn't look 100% and i think the okc defense will be well-prepared for what the mavs do (the feb. 10 game was the first game the mavs played with their new guys).

[durden_tyler]

So the Clippers "physical" play did have a long-term effect with Kleber out (for the season?)

i thought that should be a bigger news than what it is since i feel his shooting has added a different flavor when they want to go offense first in that frontcourt. Is THJ coming back soon? If both are out, who's the next man up in the rotation?

[advent11]

With both THJ and Maxi Kleber out, this might be a short series; OKC in 5?

THJ has not been ruled out even of Game 1 as far as I know. I'm more worried about Luka's sprain knee than either of them anyway. Those are just role players hurts our depth but playoffs have shorter rotations anyway.

Luka
Kyrie
Washington
Jones Jr.
Gafford

Starting lineup in tact

Lively
Green
Exum

If Hardaway comes back that's 9. If not might need someone like Jaden Hardy or Markieff Morris to provide a few minutes. Hopefully they don't try to play Dwight Powell.

Mavs need Hardaway to come back and make a contribution.

[Capn'O]

Woah, I'm kind of surprised to see everyone siding with the Mavs here in the votes

People are really sleeping on OKC imo. They're super legit.

[Mavrelous]

THJ doesn't matter at all, Mavs are better of with him injured so that Kidd doesn't play because of rank, his role is when one of Luka/Kyrie is injured, and even that he didn't do well since Fenruary.
Maxi is a big setback.
Maxi is a 3&D PF that gets 20 MPG a game, and he's the small ball C in the switch evrything, 5 out lineup, extremely effecient lineup that Mavs went to.
Mavs have other 5 out switchable options (PJ at the 5), but it wasn't practitced...

[BigGargamel]

Woah, I'm kind of surprised to see everyone siding with the Mavs here in the votes

The same reason most people picked the Suns to beat the Wolves. Casuals know who Luka and the Mavericks are just like they knew who Durant was. They're always slow to recognize non traditional teams/players like Denver, Minnesota and OKC.

Plus the whole "pLaYoFf ExPeRiEnCe" narrative. This is the first year the Thunder have been in the playoffs, so everyone automatically expects them to falter. Nevermind they had a fantastic regular season and are probably the better team overall.

I got the Thunder in 6. They are a much better team top to bottom, and superior coaching.

[baldur]

With both THJ and Maxi Kleber out, this might be a short series; OKC in 5?

THJ has not been ruled out even of Game 1 as far as I know. I'm more worried about Luka's sprain knee than either of them anyway. Those are just role players hurts our depth but playoffs have shorter rotations anyway.

Luka
Kyrie
Washington
Jones Jr.
Gafford

Starting lineup in tact

Lively
Green
Exum

If Hardaway comes back that's 9. If not might need someone like Jaden Hardy or Markieff Morris to provide a few minutes. Hopefully they don't try to play Dwight Powell.

Mavs need Hardaway to come back and make a contribution.

josh green is playing so well actually. they arent missing hardaway.

[Upperclass]

OKC will be better off in man vs Dal and just let luka hunt matchups and then do the same vs Luka and Kyrie. Any zone or drop and its lobs and open 3s all day. Dal wont be able to stop OKC on O at all.. They may win in 5

[ejftw]

If Luka gets any resemblance of his shot back, Dallas should take it, probably in six. Otherwise, I have it the other way in six.

It'll be an interesting contrasting series for Dallas imo, the Clippers allowed Dallas to make the series more of a grind, I feel OKC will do a better job to make it free flowing, and the two games where LA was able to do that, they led by 29 and 31, and got the W.

Also interested to see how and it OKC can neutralize D2 (Derrick + Daniel).

[Pelly24]

If Luka were 100% they would've beat the Clippers in 5 games, and I think they'd beat the Thunder in 5 games too. Problem is, Luka is obviously compromised so he's more like a top 10ish top 15 guy rather than his typical top 3 self. What I'll say is he's 6'7" and huge and is an incredible passer and has great touch, so he can make up for his injury a bit if he can shoot% from three. Truthfully though, I don't think OKC has anything for Kyrie in single coverage.

[pontius]

The Thunder are very underrated. They'll wipe the floor with this mediocre Mavs team in 5, maybe 6. A hobbled Luka and missing Kleber make it easier.

[UglyBugBall]

Woah, I'm kind of surprised to see everyone siding with the Mavs here in the votes

The same reason most people picked the Suns to beat the Wolves. Casuals know who Luka and the Mavericks are just like they knew who Durant was. They're always slow to recognize non traditional teams/players like Denver, Minnesota and OKC.

Plus the whole "pLaYoFf ExPeRiEnCe" narrative. This is the first year the Thunder have been in the playoffs, so everyone automatically expects them to falter. Nevermind they had a fantastic regular season and are probably the better team overall.

I got the Thunder in 6. They are a much better team top to bottom, and superior coaching.

You must be a new fan to the NBA if you dismiss playoff experience like it's a joke.

[SportsGuru08]

Kleber's shoulder is completely separated. Not a good sign for Dallas

[CIN-C-STAR]

I think Chet's ability to contain Luka and the lob threat from drop will be key.
I got Mavs in 6 mostly close games. Just trust the Mavs experience more to pull out the close games.

[BliscoSantos]

With both THJ and Maxi Kleber out, this might be a short series; OKC in 5?

THJ has not been ruled out even of Game 1 as far as I know. I'm more worried about Luka's sprain knee than either of them anyway. Those are just role players hurts our depth but playoffs have shorter rotations anyway.

Luka
Kyrie
Washington
Jones Jr.
Gafford

Starting lineup in tact

Lively
Green
Exum

If Hardaway comes back that's 9. If not might need someone like Jaden Hardy or Markieff Morris to provide a few minutes. Hopefully they don't try to play Dwight Powell.

Mavs need Hardaway to come back and make a contribution.

I'd actually prefer for Timmy to sit out... he's been beyond bad and the Mavs are playing a lot better without him....give Hardy some minutes

[Crunch 99]

It's only been four games, but OKC has been playing stellar playoff defense. OKC in six games.

NBA.com playoff defensive ratings after first round, with Orlando and Cleveland still to play one more game.
OKC 93.5
Orlando 98.9
Boston 100.7
Cleveland 107
Minnesota 109.3
Dallas 109.5
New Orleans 109.6
Denver 109.7
Lakers 113.4
Clippers 115.9
Philly 116.7
Indiana 116.8
New York 116.9
Miami 117.7
Milwaukee 119.4
Phoenix 123.2

[Dadouv47]

Feels like both teams are underrated. OKC because they are young and with no experience and also most people haven't watch us play a lot during the regular season. Mavericks are underrated because they had some issues early during the regular season but they improved a lot with Gafford/PJ Washington and lately Irving is playing at a very high level.

As a Thunder fan, I'm worried of the lack of depth on our bench and also worried about Shai that is struggling in the last month or so. I don't think age and experience is gonna be the decisive factor because guys like JDub and Chet are mentally very strong.

[Bloodbather]

Chet is the key to this series. If he hits his threes at a high clip he could neutralize Gafford and Lively's interior presence defensively. Might be unfair to expect a rookie to be the x-factor in his debut postseason, though.

Should be a fun series. I think OKC's lack of experience, while being a good point, has been a bit overstated. They're a very good team and they have a very good coach. Mavs have the best player in the series, but they don't have someone who can attack OKC's biggest weakness - size in the interior.

lol have you seriously been watching Dallas since the Gafford trade?
Either Gafford and Lively can definitely attack OKC's lack of size inside.
Remember what Joker said after the last Mavs-Nuggets game saying that comparing to Dallas, Nuggets look like a small ball team....and we're talking about a Nuggets team which are one of the biggest teams around size wise.

Gafford and Lively are rim runners, Chet can deal with those types. A girthy post scorer is what he'd have trouble with.

[falcolombardi]

Chet is the key to this series. If he hits his threes at a high clip he could neutralize Gafford and Lively's interior presence defensively. Might be unfair to expect a rookie to be the x-factor in his debut postseason, though.

Should be a fun series. I think OKC's lack of experience, while being a good point, has been a bit overstated. They're a very good team and they have a very good coach. Mavs have the best player in the series, but they don't have someone who can attack OKC's biggest weakness - size in the interior.

lol have you seriously been watching Dallas since the Gafford trade?
Either Gafford and Lively can definitely attack OKC's lack of size inside.
Remember what Joker said after the last Mavs-Nuggets game saying that comparing to Dallas, Nuggets look like a small ball team....and we're talking about a Nuggets team which are one of the biggest teams around size wise.

Gafford and Lively are rim runners, Chet can deal with those types. A girthy post scorer is what he'd have trouble with.

A post scorer can be limited by okc lenght on passing lanes and athletism to help on weakside and post ups and recover

I actually am more worried about great reboundinh since possesion advantage has been how teams manage to keep up with thunder dominant scoring efficiency and defensive percentages allowed