NBA Playoffs: editorial predictions for Suns – Mavericks!

A series of Playoffs is obviously the fight between two franchises, a few cracks and two fanbases, but these are also opposing opinions, even within our editorial staff. Who thinks what, who is the most gifted with a crystal ball in their hands? Here are the editorial predictions for the Suns – Mavericks series!

John

If I trust my bracket, we obviously start with the Suns who are gaining momentum (just like the Bucks in the East), after a somewhat tentative first round. Too happy to see these Mavs pass a first step in their process, happy not to see the Jazz in half especially, but there we start to talk seriously, we start typing in the favorite in the title and the all-time player opposite . Luka Doncic is going to eat Chris Paul, Devin Booker, lots of Mikal Bridges and a bit of Jae Crowder, omg, he’ll probably shoot at 12/28/10 on the series but it smells like 35% shooting, while there are far too many solutions available to Monty Williams. Stronger under, more experienced, bench depth, everything speaks in favor of the Suns with, in my opinion, games managed à la daron during second half irritating management. My prediction? 4-0, sorry not sorry and see you next year with a real pivot… French?

Nico M.

The Suns had to compose without Devin Booker in the first round, the Mavericks without Luka Doncic. But the two teams are well on the way to the second round and that promises us a good series typical of the Western Conference. A series in which I see the Suns behaving like a boss, with a Book who gradually regains his feelings, a CP3 faithful to himself, a Mikal Bridges who continues his madness and who comes to annoy Luka Doncic a little, and a Deandre Ayton dominating against the Dallas racket. Too serious, too solid collectively, too fair on both sides of the field, Phoenix will demonstrate why it is the best team of the season. I’m still going to give Dallas two wins because Luka is Luka and the Mavs showed great resources against the Jazz, but the Cactus are going to do the job well and take this series in six to return without breaking a sweat in the final of conf.

Alex T

They were both expected for this semi-final but Suns and Mavericks got a little scared because of some unforeseen sores. Devin Booker and Luka Doncic are now back and we will be able to enjoy a particularly kiffante series. There will be a show, two very solid defenses and everything could be played out in the game of money time, a period normally rather favorable to… Phoenix. Even though Dallas’ progress is notable this season, there are several points that favor the cactus. A gap in terms of experience already, a greater experience as a group, a better depth of manpower too. We talk a lot about CP3 and Book’ but I think Deandre Ayton is going to cause a lot of problems for a Dallas racquet which seems to me a bit limited over a whole series. Rudy Gobert may have been forgotten during the first lap but the Point God will water his pivot if he sees that the paint is starting to crack. Luka Doncic, on his own, is capable of keeping the Mavs in the race but he will also have to deal with Mikal Bridges full time… A lot of things that push me to bet on a 4-2 for Phoenix.

August

A fresh series that should amaze us at the eye level. The backcourts of these teams are wonderful and should provide us with beautiful basketball. The Suns got scared against valiant Pelicans. Phoenix passes to a loss of ball from CJ McCollum from Game 7. The Mavs first without Luka Doncic managed against the Jazz. Upon his return, the Slovenian made an impression with a game with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Nonetheless, the Suns’ home sector looks far superior to Dallas’. I don’t see how Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell or Maxi Kleber will be able to compete with Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton or Jae Crowder. I exclude Dorian Finney-Smith from this discussion because he showed us on several occasions that he was not afraid of anyone and that he could defend as well as punish anyone. Speaking of defense, we are on an elite duel. Games should be tense and reduced to few points unless Booker and Doncic catch fire. However, let’s get this straight: Dallas remains on nine straight losses against Phoenix and hasn’t beaten the Suns since November 2019. A streak that could be broken by the talent of Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, however I see a win 4 -1 of the Suns who pass the second and which shows that the series against the Pels was just a warm-up.

tom

Beautiful Mavs on the first round, already without Luka Dončić, and even more with. Jalen Brunson amazed everyone and this team is very good collectively but the march still seems too high against the Suns who will rev up after a few missteps against the Pelicans. Chris Paul has too much experience, the guys are going to do the job and, above all, Devin Booker is back and that changes everything. The scoring will be assured and it defends well behind, I still see close matches but Phoenix advantage in the last minutes. 4-1 for the Suns.

Clement

This clash between Luka Doncic and Chris Paul sweats the Nobel Prize and the doctorate in basketball. The Mavericks, however deprived of their Slovenian genius at the start of the series, won the right to challenge the Suns, leaders of the league but also amputated a few games of their walking fire Devin Booker, and who left feathers against the eye-catching Pelicans suggesting that the absence of Zion Williamson is not so detrimental to them. Even without his franchise player at 200%, Phoenix is ​​sufficiently armed in all compartments of the game to thwart the plans of the Mavericks. Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder will take turns to wire Luka Doncic who will still be able to give us one or two masterclasses, while in the racket, Deandre Ayton will torpedo Dwight Powell who will still be able to give us zero masterclasses. CP3 will of course play the best symphony for his team against the future nouveau riche Jalen Brunson. Unfortunately, I don’t see the Mavs recreating the feel but I do see them coming out with the honors against the Suns. 4-2 for Phoenix, to allow Devin Booker to get back in shape in these Playoffs, and to allow Luka to send himself his best cherry tomato flavored hookahs this summer.

Nico V

Devin Booker, Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton against Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Dwight Powell… you don’t need to have done Harvard to understand that it’s not all balanced. The Mavericks eliminated a Jazz completely off the plate, and the Suns got a scare against brave Pelicans. Doncic is back, so we can probably credit the guy with a few big nights that will allow the Mavericks to overthrow their opponent, but the Suns have better weapons than the Unicorns in every way, starting with their secret weapon and Swiss army knife: Mikal Bridges, the oven and grinder in Phoenix’s last game, showed he has the balls to boss both ends of the court, and it’s a skill that will annoy Dallas far too much. If we add in addition the fraud and the vista of CP3, the scoring of Booker and the mixtape which is announced in the racket for Ayton on Powell, I do not see the Mavericks winning more than two, but it will already be well honorable…come on, 4-2 Phoenix.