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The teams are finalized, the bracket is set, and now it's time to look at the matchups for the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
With this season being such a different one due to the coronavirus pandemic, the possibility of upsets have increased. More than ever, the possibility of a lower seed getting far in the playoffs is a reality. One potential upset in particular that really pops out is the Dallas Mavericks over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Since the beginning of the year, the Clippers, along with their arena-sharing rivals, have been the favorites to go to the NBA Finals out of the Western Conference. Doc Rivers' club, however, has been skidding into the playoffs and look ripe for the picking by the Luka Doncic-led Mavs. Here are three reasons why the Mavs will upset the Clippers and move on in the playoffs.
1. Skidding in
As mentioned earlier, the Clippers have been playing with a “flip the switch” mentality, coasting through the restart before planning on ramping up the intensity once the playoffs begin. While this is not nearly as disastrous a strategy in the NBA with seven-game series as it is when NFL teams do it at the end of the season, it could result in a slow start in the first games of the series with Dallas, putting LA behind the eight ball early on and forcing them to fight from behind. That could spell disaster, as one slow start or one below-average game later on in the series could knock them out of the playoffs.
2. Mavs stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis
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Luka Doncic has been on a tear in the bubble after putting up MVP-esque numbers all season. Doncic averaged 32.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 11.3 assists in the six seeding games he played full minutes. He played just 13 minutes in his last game and still scored 18 points. That type of production could determine a game during the playoffs. If the Clippers don't figure out a way to shut down Doncic and limit his production, they could be in for a long series. While LA has guys like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to throw at Doncic, it will still be a challenge to slow him down.
Kristaps Porzingis has also been killing it in the bubble, giving the Mavs a formidable star duo. Porzingis put up 30.5 points per game in six seeding games and is a matchup nightmare given his ability to shoot from deep as a big man. If Doncic and Porzingis are both at the top of their games, Dallas can pull off the upset thanks to its historically great offense.
3. Lack of home-court advantage for Clippers
While this one is not unique to the Clippers, they will especially be feeling it. Staples Center would have been rockin' if these playoffs were under normal circumstances because of the high expectations for this team, and that may have an impact on the Clippers' intensity. The Clippers could use something to jolt them awake, but now with no fans, they will have to figure out a way to make the switch turn on and create that intensity. Clippers head coach Doc Rivers will need to make sure his team is prepared and ready to go.
Meanwhile, the Mavs could take advantage of this. Instead of facing that raucous Staples Center crowd the first two games, Dallas will now have a better opportunity to catch LA off guard to start the series. If the Mavs can steal a game early, that would give them some much-needed confidence as they look to pull off the upset.
