DALLAS — The tasks keep on coming for the Dallas Mavericks. If it feels as though Phoenix, as defending conference champs and the team with the best regular-season record, should have represented Dallas’ highest hurdle … it didn’t turn out that way.
The Mavs beat the team that was the West’s best in the 2021 season. Then they beat the best of 2022. Well, how about a recent three-time NBA champion for an encore? How about a team that now surrounds Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — ring-earners from 2015, 2017 and 2018 — with a deep, young collection of talent that has the Warriors unbeaten at home in the playoffs?
While it’s true that two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant is gone, Jordan Poole steps into the mix with his 19.0 points per game and a better field-goal shooting percentage in the playoffs than Steph or Klay. Heck, Poole is even shooting free throws better than Steph. Don’t forget All-Star starter Andrew Wiggins, who tosses in another 14.5 points per night to put their top four scorers over 80 points.
