2011 NBA Playoff Predictions: Mavericks vs Blazers

Written by Jack Jones - Google +

The Dallas Mavericks take on the Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. This series starts on Saturday, April 16th with Game 1 tipping at 9:30 EST on ESPN. It’s perhaps the most intriguing of any series as many feel that Portland is one of the more dangerous teams in the playoffs that nobody is talking about. Dallas comes in as the No. 3 seed with high expectations after a 57-25 season, and No. 6 Portland came on strong at the end of the season to post a 48-34 record.

These teams split their season series, with each winning at home. It was a very intense series to say the least during the regular season, as all four games were decided by eight points or less. Dallas opened with 103-98 and 84-81 victories, but the Portland got revenge with 104-101 and 104-96 triumphs in their two most recent meetings.

I’ll preview each team below and give my prediction on which squad prevails to advance to the Western Conference semifinals. Our 2011 NBA playoff predictions will give you a better look into how the postseason plays out in both conferences.

Dallas

Many folks around the league have been calling out the Dallas Mavericks for being soft. Matt Barnes of the Los Angeles Lakers chimed in, and George Karl stated that he would rather face them than the Thunder. Dallas will now try to use these comments as fuel to their fire after what was a very solid regular season. They posted the same record as the Lakers, which was good for the fourth-best mark in the league.

The reason for the criticism of this team is because of their recent struggles in the playoffs. Dallas did show a lot of heart this year by surviving injuries to both Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler, who could actually return during this series which would be a huge boost. What the Mavericks do so well is share the basketball, making them tough to guard. Dallas averages 23.8 assists per game, led by Jason Kidd and his 8.2 dimes per contest.

Nowitzki is their leading scorer (23.0), and their depth with five players averaging in double-figures is certainly a strength as well. Jason Terry is a candidate for 6th Man of the year every season, and he comes off the bench to provide 15.8 points and 1.1 steals per contest. Tyson Chandler has proven to be a great offseason addition, averaging nearly a double-double with 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. He gives them a post presence they haven’t had in year’s past.

Portland

The Portland Trail Blazers have done a great job this season despite battling through injuries all year. LaMarcus Aldridge has carried the load after injuries to Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Joel Pryzbilla and Marcus Camby throughout the course of the season. This team has shown a lot of character, and as a result they are a very dangerous team in the playoffs now that they are finally healthy.

Portland’s bread and butter is their ability to defend and limit opponents to just one shot. The Blazers ranked seventh in the league in points per game allowed (94.8). They can find it hard to score at times (96.3 points), but a big reason for that is all of the injuries. Portland has a chance to win every game it plays because of their effort and willingness to battle for every loose ball, which is one thing that can’t be said about every team in this league.

The Blazers pulled off one of the best trades this season that doesn’t get talked about. Gerald Wallace game over from the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for Pryzbilla, Dante Cunningham and Sean Marks along with two first-round draft picks. He has been nothing short of spectacular, averaging 15.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in 23 games since joining Portland. The Blazers have six players averaging at least 12.2 points, led by Aldridge (21.8) Andre Miller is solid at the point, scoring 12.7 points and dishing out 7.0 assists per contest. If Roy can return to form, look out.

Series Prediction: Mavericks win in 7 games

More Western Conference Playoff Predictions:

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