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mavErika · 03-31-2022, 04:34 PM

I'm glad so far things are developing as I had expected and hoped for. Here's (most of) what I hid in the vs-Jazz-GDT three days ago:

If the Mavs make up two games on the steph-less warriors then they are golden.

And they absolutely should, looking at that remaining schedule. SOS is one thing and hugely in our favor. But not only that, of these seven teams only three or four have anything to play for* (SA might be locked in or out of the play-in it by the time the regular season finale rolls around) AND, as has also been noted, two of these three are just in a bad way rn. And fittingly those two are the the next two on the schedule.
[interjection: so far, business has been taken care of - good times]

Even though their play over these last few games hasn't provided huge confidence in going 6-1 or 5-2 against any opponent, the Mavs should just feast on that schedule. And they should not let anything dsistract them from doing so. The benefits of that #3 seed are so big that I almost can't imagine them pissing it away in classic mid season mavs fashion.
Otoh, any one of these teams can beat us if the shooting is as bad as it has been at times lately and this, to me, looks so clear-cut on paper that I cannot not brace myself for when it all blows up spectacularly as the Wiz and/or Pistons crush us.

*Compare that to GS; where only SAC is out of the race completely

Although they have not looked great lately and sth like 3-4 seems like a fair guess for them, it wouldn't shock me to see them pull it together and go 4-3 or 5-2 and stop us from climbing further in the standings that way.

To conclude, my best guess is also the ideal (? - I certainly think so) scenario where the Mavs end up in the 3-seed, avoid the Suns in Round 2, and still play the Jazz in Rd 1, who fall back to #6. The Lakers might have fallen out of the play-in, regardless of LeBron's ankle. Their remaining schedule is just brutal (closing on a B2B2B, probably not the favorite against anyone but OKC and maybe their re-match with NO) and the Spurs have several good opportunities to pick up some Ws.

03-31-2022, 04:34 PM	#37
mavErika Golden Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: the G Posts: 1,299	I'm glad so far things are developing as I had expected and hoped for. Here's (most of) what I hid in the vs-Jazz-GDT three days ago: If the Mavs make up two games on the steph-less warriors then they are golden. And they absolutely should, looking at that remaining schedule. SOS is one thing and hugely in our favor. But not only that, of these seven teams only three or four have anything to play for* (SA might be locked in or out of the play-in it by the time the regular season finale rolls around) AND, as has also been noted, two of these three are just in a bad way rn. And fittingly those two are the the next two on the schedule. [interjection: so far, business has been taken care of - good times] Even though their play over these last few games hasn't provided huge confidence in going 6-1 or 5-2 against any opponent, the Mavs should just feast on that schedule. And they should not let anything dsistract them from doing so. The benefits of that #3 seed are so big that I almost can't imagine them pissing it away in classic mid season mavs fashion. Otoh, any one of these teams can beat us if the shooting is as bad as it has been at times lately and this, to me, looks so clear-cut on paper that I cannot not brace myself for when it all blows up spectacularly as the Wiz and/or Pistons crush us. *Compare that to GS; where only SAC is out of the race completely Although they have not looked great lately and sth like 3-4 seems like a fair guess for them, it wouldn't shock me to see them pull it together and go 4-3 or 5-2 and stop us from climbing further in the standings that way. To conclude, my best guess is also the ideal (? - I certainly think so) scenario where the Mavs end up in the 3-seed, avoid the Suns in Round 2, and still play the Jazz in Rd 1, who fall back to #6. The Lakers might have fallen out of the play-in, regardless of LeBron's ankle. Their remaining schedule is just brutal (closing on a B2B2B, probably not the favorite against anyone but OKC and maybe their re-match with NO) and the Spurs have several good opportunities to pick up some Ws.