2023-24 Western Conference Second Round Preview: OKC Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

2023-24 Western Conference Second Round Preview: OKC Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

The last time these two teams faced off in the playoffs was in 2016. The Thunder had prime Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading this squad. The Mavericks were a very old team with a very old Dirk Nowitzki holding up this team.

A lot has changed since then. The Thunder are the No. 1 seed with one of the best young cores in the league. The Mavericks have superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and this could shape up to be one of the better matchups in the playoffs.

The Thunder did win the regular season series 3-1. The Mavs did rest all their prominent players in their last matchup with each other though. In all of these games during the regular season, they were all high-scoring affairs. You can probably expect the same during this playoffs. Here is your NBA Playoff preview between the OKC Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks!

This 2023-24 Western Conference second-round series will get underway on Tuesday, May 7, at 9:30 PM EST on TNT. Let’s check out the game times for this series.

GAME	DATE	MATCHUP	TIME	TV
Game 1	Tuesday, May 7th	Mavericks @ Thunder	9:30 PM EST	TNT
Game 2	Thursday, May 9th	Mavericks @ Thunder	9:30 PM EST	ESPN
Game 3	Saturday, May 11th	Thunder @ Mavericks	3:30 PM EST	ABC
Game 4	Monday, May 13th	Thunder @ Mavericks	9:30 PM EST	TNT
Game 5*	Wednesday, May 15th	Mavericks @ Thunder	TBD	TNT
Game 6*	Saturday, May 18th	Thunder @ Mavericks	8:30 PM EST	ESPN
Game 7*	Monday, May 20th	Mavericks @ Thunder	8:30 PM EST	TNT

* – if necessary

What to know about the OKC Thunder:

Notable starters:

• G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• G: Josh Giddey
• F: Luguentz Dort
• F: Jalen Williams
• C: Chet Holmgren

Rotational players:

• G: Aaron Wiggins
• G: Isaiah Joe
• G: Cason Wallace
• F/C: Jaylin Williams

This Thunder team relies heavily on their starters. Their starters last series all played more than 26 minutes. 4 of them averaged more than 32 minutes per game. SGA and Jalen Williams played the most for this Thunder team. I’m still not a big believer in this team. I do think they’re talented but just young.

They did what they had to do and beat the New Orleans Pelicans without Zion Williamson. I’m not sure sweeping them is an accomplishment, but I cannot hold that against them. Gilgeous-Alexander will score points; Williams has solidified himself as the 2nd best player on the roster; Holmgren is a unicorn, but I am not sure they can survive with the others.

As mentioned, this is a young squad and this is their first real test going against bonafide superstars. How will they respond?

Chet Holmgren: ‘I haven’t proven s–t.’

What to know about the Dallas Mavericks:

Notable starters:

• G: Luka Doncic
• G: Kyrie Irving
• F: Derrick Jones Jr.
• F: P.J. Washington
• C: Daniel Gafford

Rotational players:

• C: Dereck Lively II
• G: Josh Green
• C: Dwight Powell
• G: Dante Exum

The injury to Maxi Kleber hurts the Mavs frontcourt depth for sure. But, if there’s anything we know about the Mavericks, is that they are going to ride Doncic and Irving.

Both of these players averaged more than 40 minutes last series. Together, they will average about 50 points for this squad, but the rest of them averaged less than 10 PPG for the series. I’m not sure if that will be enough for the Mavericks. Some will have to step up and score more if the Mavericks are going to have a chance to win.

Grant Williams Fired Shots At Luka Doncic

Three big questions:

1. How long can Luka and Kyrie play 40 minutes a game?

Averaging 40 minutes a game is already a nightmare but doing it in the playoffs is horrific. With playoff basketball being more intense and physical, there’s no way that the Mavs can do that Kyrie and Luka nightly.

In the four regular season matchups, Edwards averaged 26 points and was a key part in both of the Timberwolves’ wins. Murray on the other hand played in just three of the four matchups and averaged just 17.3 ppg. As two players that can take over a game this very well could be the difference maker for each team in this 2023-24 NBA Western Conference Second Round series. 

2. Will the inexperience of the Thunder be their downfall?

Experience matters so much in the playoffs. Those who have faced the adversity of the playoffs react better than those who haven’t. Kyrie Irving has formidable playoff experience, he has championship experience. Luka has won some tough playoff matchups as well. These guys have been there and will be able to help their team overcome any adversity. The Thunder haven’t.

They played the Pelicans in the first round without Williamson. This will be the Thunder’s first real test in the playoffs for such a young team. They’ll be going up against one of the best duos in the league. How they try to overcome that adversity will be telling of this series. Not to mention, this is also Mark Daigneault’s first time coaching in the playoffs. Of course, he is no slouch on coaching, coaching a very young team to No. 1 overall in the Western Conference, but coaching in the playoff series against two prolific superstars in your first year in the playoffs is rough.

3. Who will step up for the Mavericks?

I alluded to it earlier when talking about Kyrie and Luka playing 40 minutes a game: This simply cannot be a long-term solution and expect success.

Eventually, maybe not now, but later, one of the two will break down. So, who’s going to step up? At least for the frontcourt, Powell could see more minutes for the injured Kleber, how well he does in those minutes could be beneficial.

Lively and Gafford will likely see more minutes and they could be playing more at the 4 instead of the 5. The Mavericks will desperately need some guard help from either Josh Green or Dante Exum. I’m not sure you can take both Luka and Kyrie out at the same time unless it’s a blowout. When one or the other is not in, Green or Exum will need to provide production to take the weight off of Luka and Kyrie.

We might see some funky lineups without Kleber healthy, but the guard help is what the Mavericks need to win this series.

Mavericks Think Luka Dončić Is Fat

Predictions:

This series is filled with so much uncertainty that I don’t have a confident prediction. On one hand, the Thunder are talented but are filled with so much inexperience that it makes me wary of picking them. For the Mavs, they have Kyrie and Luka who they will play to the death if need be, but it cannot be sustained for extended periods of time.

Who is going to step up for the Mavericks to help them out? In my recent experiences, betting on experience and stars will usually lead you to a good thing. It’s nothing against the Thunder, but I think the inexperience they have will be a big factor going against two superstars. In this NBA Playoff preview between the OKC Thunder Vs. Dallas Mavericks, I’m taking the Mavs.

Prediction: Mavericks in 6

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