The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Dallas Mavericks are set to face each other in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Ahead of what is sure to be a stellar matchup, many within the NBA community have already given their predictions for how this matchup will progress. Joining right in, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green confidently announced quite the shocking take.
Despite the Thunder boasting an excellent 5-2 record against the Mavericks since the start of last season [per Statmuse], Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is not only backing Dallas to advance to the Western Conference Finals, he believes the series will hardly be a contest. Explaining why, he said on the Draymond Green Show,
“I actually got Dallas winning in five, six at best. The reason why is I just don’t think OKC big enough for Dallas. Dallas has length. You look at PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Luka [Doncic], they also have girth. OKC has length, but they are mostly skinny guys.
I think Dallas’ physicality in this series will make the difference. They are as good, if not better offensively. I don’t think Dallas is better defensively, but with their length, and their physicality, that’ll make them better defensively.”
While his prediction could be bold, Green isn’t wrong about the Mavericks’ size advantage. Per ESPN, outside of Kyrie Irving, none of Dallas’ other four starters are under 6-foot-7, while only two of OKC’s starting five are above that mark.
Guard Josh Giddey stands at 6-foot-8, while center Chet Holmgren is 7-foot-1. But, as Green mentioned, neither is physically imposing, with the former weighing 216 pounds, while the latter only 208 [per Basketball Reference]. On the flip side, Doncic, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford weigh over 230, showcasing the massive size disparity between the two sides.
Green believes the Mavericks will use their superior size and showcase OKC’s 3-1 regular season record against them wasn’t a true indicator of the two team’s ability. The Warriors icon is giving Dallas the advantage and it remains to be seen if they come through on his belief.
Shaquille O’Neal is on the Thunder hype train
While Draymond Green picked the Mavericks due to the size advantage, the most physically imposing and dominant player ever, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, doesn’t believe it tips the scale in their favor and is backing the upstart Thunder to win the series. While previewing the series on Inside The NBA, he said,
“I look for OKC to win this series very easily. I know Dallas has two dynamic scorers. But the way this young team is playing, they are so together, they are on a mission. ”
While Green feels the Mavericks’ physical superiority will make the difference, O’Neal is going with his gut feeling and is backing the camaraderie and team spirit that he’s seen all season to shine through.
Surprisingly, neither believes the series will be long and has backed their respective series to finish the job with ease. It remains to be seen who’s proven wrong, or whether they both are and the two teams deliver a seven-game epic.
