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Mavs in 6!

As the title says, I'm putting my pick right out there. For some reasons, you can keep reading.

Six Reasons the Mavs Win in 6:
1. Dirk Nowitzki. There is no easy matchup for him on any team, but I still think the best guys are athletic small-forward types. Udonis Haslem doesn't fit that mold and neither does Antoine Walker. If he's not double-teamed, Dirk will average 33 pts per game in the series.

2. Avery Johnson. The Little General has done a good job of making adjustments in each series.One reason is he has more to work with than most teams. Johnson has already won three playoff series in which he lost the first game (Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix). If the Heat can't win Game 1, they're really in trouble.
3. Point-guard play. The Mavericks don't have great traditional point guards. Neither Devin Harris or Jason Terry set up enough easy baskets for their teammates. But in this series they will prove to be too clever for Jason Williams and too quick for Gary Payton.
4. Josh Howard's coming-out party. When Josh keeps his emotions under control, he is an outstanding player. He'll forever be known as the last pick of the first round in 2003. He won't prove to be better than D. Wade in this series, but I expect he'll be good enough to beat Wade to a title. And Howard's second contract will be more than make up for his draft snub.
5. Worry-free travel. The Mavericks were one of the best road teams in the regular season and they are 6-3 away from Dallas in the playoffs. They won twice in Memphis, twice in San Antonio, including a Game 7, and twice in Phoenix. The Finals setup calls for three straight on the road, but it's unlikely Dallas will get swept in Miami. They might even win 2 of 3.
6. Shawn Bradley has retired! Erick Dampier and Gana Diop give the Mavs some beef to throw at Shaq. Shaq will at least double the Mavs centers in points, and D & D will double the Diesel in whistles from the officials. But their ability to contest Shaq a little bit will help the team defense elsewhere.
No more Wang Zhi Zhi or Erick Strickland gimmicks for Shaq to deal with. And no Shawn Bradley for Shaq to put on his poster.

Posted by Andy Newberry at 11:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)