The matchups for the first round are not set in stone, but it feels that way and the odds are even. He has a 96% chance of finishing in the No. 4 seed vs. the Dallas Mavericks, where odds are skyrocketing at 95 to land in No. 5, according to Basketball Reference. After the Clippers' first-round wins over Dallas in 2020 and 2021, it's only fitting that these two teams go head-to-head against each other.
There are many similarities and some major differences, especially in the case of Dallas, which completely rebuilt its roster multiple times in the years that followed. Even the remaining players have changed — Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber have moved from starters to off-the-bench roles since the 2021 series, while Josh played just four minutes in that series. -Green is a rotation player who has emerged as a reliable player. But of course, Dallas is still led by Luka Doncic, who is averaging 33.5 points and 9.5 assists in the postseason against the Clippers. His heroics weren't enough to win either series, but he returns in this series with more reinforcements than ever.
The big question in whether or not this series happens is whether the Clippers go into this series because they want to play it small, or if they quickly realize they have no other choice. . If so, will those lineups be effective enough to force Dallas to do the same as it did in 2020 and 2021? In the last series these teams played, Doncic's ruthless switch-hunting led to Ivica Zubac being ejected (although Dallas also took a weird turn by starting Boban Marjanovic). ), the Clippers also had better options to use as a small-ball center.
The series is not set in stone, but calculations show only a slight advance in this early analysis. These Clippers have shown a higher ceiling than their previous style of play, but Dallas continues to play their best ball since the trade deadline and perhaps the entire Doncic era. A few more wins between these two teams should seal this matchup up for good, but we'll see soon enough.
