The Dallas Mavericks
I’ve always been a firm believer in the theory that the play-offs are all about match-ups. A team’s standings have nothing to do with a play-off matchup. It’s why I favored the Magic over the Cavaliers last year. They were simply a nightmare match-up for the Cavaliers.
I contend that the Dallas Mavericks are the biggest threat to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference. Why? Because they match-up with the Lakers probably better than any team in the league. They have DeSagana Diop and Brandon Haywood to throw at Bynum. They have Dirk to throw on Lamar. They have Caron Butler to hassle Kobe. They can play anyway that we can. They also have Jason Terry, who (like every other small, quick guard) has been a thorn in the side of the Lakers for the last two decades (or so it seems). While Caron and Haywood have struggled since their dynamite start, they will cause match-up problems for the Lakers.
If the match-up comes to pass, I foresee many games going down to the wire, where it will be star vs. star. Dirk vs. Kobe. I think it’s clear who I (and most sane people) would put my money on in that scenario. Still, it’s a series that could go 7 games.
Status: Contender
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