Spurs in 6

[monosylab1k]

This is my official prediction. I'm not the most beloved, most popular, or most amicable Mavs fan on this board, but there's no doubt I've got the best grasp of this team. My percentage of things I've been right on over the past few years far exceeds that of any other Mavs fan on this board, tbh.

That's why I'm letting it be known right now. Mavs are going down. Spurs got this . Wanna know the outcome of each game? Here, Monostradamus will tell you -

Gm 1 - Spurs Win
Gm 2 - Mavs Win
Gm 3 - Spurs Win
Gm 4 - Spurs Win
Gm 5 - Mavs Win
Gm 6 - Spurs Win

I've had my finger on the pulse of these Dallas Mavericks all season, and this is what I've got - a bunch of jumpshooting frontrunners. When things are going their way and everybody is having fun, they play great. When they start playing great, they start slacking off. When they play terrible, they slump their shoulders and pout like some ing 6 year olds.

Granted, the new Mavs have given this team a small level of toughness never seen before in Dallas. But even still, this is a team that, when you punch them in the mouth, they'll back down like KG to anybody over 6 feet tall.

Enjoy the 2nd round, Spurs fans.

[monosylab1k]

Both teams wanted to tank.

This is not a knee-jerk reaction based on tonight's game. I've been saying this for a while. This is a reaction based on how Dallas has approached the entire season.

[jack sommerset]

Mavs in 5. Spews suck. I mean they suck.

[MavDynasty]

lol 18-1*

lol 07 warriors

[rayray2k8]

Wow.. What is up with this guy?
Reverse jinx perhaps?...
If that's the case..
Mavs in 6!!

[Texas Chili Dog]

Mavs in 8.

[FkLA]

great points made throughout, far and away the most realistic mavs fan on this board...teams with a vagina as their leader simply arent championship caliber.

thanks for the good wishes br0, we will indeed enjoy the 2nd round

[Findog]

great points made throughout, far and away the most realistic mavs fan on this board...teams with a vagina as their leader simply arent championship caliber.

thanks for the good wishes br0, we will indeed enjoy the 2nd round

lol FkLA

[badfish22]

cynical≠realistic

[Amarelooms]

Spurs in 7....Dirk fouls Manu this time to end the game

[ChrisRichards]

Nah. Mavs in 6.

[Findog]

cynical≠realistic

That's the most cynical, pessimistic, worst-case scenario for the Mavs, that this will unfold like the Warriors series: Lower seed steals Game One, then the home team wins the next five.

The Mavs are a damn good road team. Over the years they have had a lot of success in San Antonio. I think each team will get a win in the other team's gym at some point - Dallas has not been dominant at home, but they are a rugged and resilient road team, with a history of getting it done at the AT&T Center.

Spurs in 6 or 7 would not shock or surprise me, but Mavs in 7 is my prediction.

[monosylab1k]

I'm sorry, I know that beating the out of Memphis, Sacramento, and the Clippers should make my hard and lead me to expect the Mavs to blaze through the playoffs. But for whatever reason, beating ty teams doesn't impress me.

I'll take what the Mavs have done for the majority of the season against all compe ion - look impressive, get lazy, look less than impressive, start pouting, make a trade, look impressive, get lazy, look less than impressive, start pouting, beat some ty teams, look impressive.

We're in the "get lazy" period that will quickly devolve into completely sucking taint.

[Findog]

I'm sorry, I know that beating the out of Memphis, Sacramento, and the Clippers should make my hard and lead me to expect the Mavs to blaze through the playoffs. But for whatever reason, beating ty teams doesn't impress me.

Against + .500 teams:

Dallas: 25-18, 13-9 H, 12-9 R
San Antonio: 20-23, 11-9 H, 9-14 R

Excluding tonight's preseason game:

Mavs win the season series over San Antonio 2-1

Who says the Mavs should win this series because of what they did against New Jersey and the Clippers?

I'll take what the Mavs have done for the majority of the season against all compe ion - look impressive, get lazy, look less than impressive, start pouting, make a trade, look impressive, get lazy look, less than impressive, start pouting, beat some ty teams, look impressive.

We're in the "get lazy" period that will quickly devolve into completely sucking taint.

And the Spurs have been some sort of paragon of consistency and excellence? The team that gets owned by the Nets and Grizzlies while fighting for playoff seeding? It's not like they slept-walked through a b2b in November.

Dallas before the trade: 32-20, .615 Winning Percentage
Dallas after trade: 23-7, .766 Winning Percentage, 5th-Best Point Differential in the League

The Spurs for the most part turned it on for the stretch run, but there are still warts and cracks in their foundation. You could say the same about Dallas. If a Spurs fan wanted to, they could just as easily be as pessimistic as you are.

[Shank]

I'm going to negate Mono's prediction and call for Mavs in 3.

[Findog]

Just for clarification, the Spurs suck without Manu and he didn't play against the Nets,

Yeah, I know he was out that game. They still should've won, it was the Nets.

[jack sommerset]

Dallas after trade: 23-7, .766 Winning Percentage, 5th-Best Point Differential in the League.

Mavs will destroy SA.

[Spursmania]

This will be a very good series, no doubt. The team with the biggest balls will take it. The last time the Mavs faced a healthy Manu in the playoffs, Manu blew it with the last foul on Dirk. I think he wants the monkey off his back.

My money is on Manu...He's a mean and lethal mother er when he's healthy. He's healthy now and peaking.

[Shank]

To the Nets credit, they did have a nice little run to round out the season. But the Grizzlies loss, that was just stupid.

[Bob Lanier]

Mavs in 4.

[Shank]

This will be a very good series, no doubt. The team with the biggest balls will take it. The last time the Mavs faced a healthy Manu in the playoffs, Manu blew it with the last foul on Dirk. I think he wants the monkey off his back.

My money is on Manu...He's a mean and lethal mother er when he's healthy. He's healthy now and peaking.

He's also 4 years older with a lot more wear on those tires. The guy is still amazing, but I'd question whether he can hold up through a series as he did in 2006.

[AnthonyM]

I can see this series going either way. As a Spurs fan I did not want to see the Mavs in the first round since the Spurs have no answer for Dirk.

But since we have them, I think the Spurs can win the series but Manu needs to continue his spectacular play. If the Spurs decide to leave the 3-point line uncontested like they did for Kidd tonight then they will not win.

Pop has to stick with a set lineup too. And if Parker gets his legs back quick...Kidd will probably look silly on defense.

Still, I think its 60-40 in favor of the Mavs at this point. Objectively.

Subjectively, Spurs in 7

[Spursmania]

He's also 4 years older with a lot more wear on those tires. The guy is still amazing, but I'd question whether he can hold up through a series as he did in 2006.

Without a doubt, we are all waiting to see if he can sustain. But, he's looking pretty healthy right now.

[jack sommerset]

Another thing. Parker has a big ing mouth. Knocking Kidd the way he did in support of Devon Harris will come back to haunt that dumbass and SA again. How that trade work out New Jersey?

Parker really does make me sick. Since age has caught Duncan, Parker ain't . He is average in this league at best. Just saying.

[Findog]

He's also 4 years older with a lot more wear on those tires. The guy is still amazing, but I'd question whether he can hold up through a series as he did in 2006.

I can't help but think we have a few more answers for them than they do for us.

We can throw Marion, Butler, Stevenson and Kidd at Manu. We have Haywood and Dampier to throw at Duncan.

How are they going to defend Dirk? I suspect the same way as last year and not straight up.

There's not much separating these two teams, I will agree on that.