It's playoff time, and FanHouse has got you covered. Our previews will give you the critical points of every series, so you can talk to your friends like you've been following every team in the Association all season long. Which you probably haven't.
Biggest Reason You Should Watch: To find out if New Orleans is for real. No one expected them to be near the top of the Western Conference when the season began, and some (including yours truly) still aren't believers. Also, to see if Dallas' trade for Jason Kidd will get them further in the playoffs than last season, when they were bounced in the first round.
Dallas can Win If: They can contain Chris Paul on defense, and hit their perimeter shots on offense. Paul is an MVP candidate this season because of his ability to control the game with his playmaking skills. If he is allowed to go unchecked, New Orleans will be in good shape. Dallas is not a team that goes inside much on offense. Besides fast break points, they rely on half-court offense and perimeter jump shots to score. Those shots need to fall for Dallas to have a chance.
New Orleans can Win If: They contain Dallas from the perimeter. Jason Terry, for example, has shot about 57% from the field against the Hornets this season. And in last night's game, Jason Kidd (not exactly known for his shooting) hit 5 of 8 from three-point land. NOLA must do a better job of contesting those shots if they want to beat Dallas.
Video Clip to Get You Pumped: Early in the season, Chris Paul showed Jason Kidd who the man was by getting this game winner to go over him when Kidd was still a member of the Nets.
Stud of the Series: Dirk Nowitzki. I expect him to continue his strong play of late, and revert to last season's MVP form in helping the Mavericks get the upset.
Biggest Liability: Jason Kidd, just for the sheer fact that we don't know if he'll be able to successfully guard Chris Paul, and despite last night's effort against the Hornets, his shooting is extremely suspect.
FanHouse Prediction: The seedings don't do these teams justice, as they're extremely evenly matched in most of the major statistical categories. I expect this to be a long series, and as I stated before I'm not convinced the Hornets are for real, so I give the Mavericks' veterans the edge. Dallas in six.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Almost, Dallas in 7. Then, they (Dallas) crash and burn in 5 next round.
Da Duck
Posted at 5:36PM on Apr 17th 2008 by da Duck
2. This series is very difficult to call;
If Dallas wins they probably will be exhausted for the next round.
Posted at 6:56PM on Apr 17th 2008 by frank
3. Go Hornets. Beat the Mavericks and join the New Orleans Saints who have gotten past the first round of the playoffs.
Posted at 12:26AM on Apr 21st 2008 by George B Vieto