The NBA playoffs are in full swing and there have been plenty of surprises, thus far. The defending champion Miami Heat were swept by the Chicago Bulls in four games. Along with the Bulls, the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers have also pulled off first-round sweeps.
The Pistons and Bulls will face off in the Eastern Conference semi-finals as the Cavaliers wait for the winner of the Toronto Raptors/New Jersey Nets series.
Over in the Western Conference, there has been one story that has been getting all the attention. The best team in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks and their struggles with the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors. The Warriors had the Mavericks’ number in the regular season, winning all three times the two squads faced off. The Warriors, led by former Mavericks coach Don Nelson, have been the toast of the playoffs.
Led by oft-injured Baron Davis, a player who may be the most underrated player in the entire NBA, the Warriors quickly took a 3-1 lead in the series before the Mavericks clawed back with a thrilling victory in game five. The Warriors ousted the Mavericks, just two nights later, with a decisive 111-86 victory.
Davis, who was ejected in game two of the series for getting two technical fouls (the second technical and ejection came when Davis was clapping his hands), has led the young and hungry Warriors to an unbelievable start to the 2007 NBA playoffs. The UCLA product has put up incredible numbers in the first round series, averaging 26 ppg, 5.6 apg and 5.4 rpg through five contests.
As long as Davis and Stephen Jackson, who has been ejected from two games in the series, stay on the floor, the Warriors have a chance to beat anyone they face. Their performance thus far against the Mavericks provides a strong testament to this. Davis has easily been the most dynamic player to watch during this year’s playoffs, making coast-to-coast drives and acrobatic, three-point shots from everywhere on the floor.
The Warriors accomplished something that hadn’t been done since the 1993-1994 season, when the eighth-seeded Nuggets knocked off the top-seeded Seattle Supersonics.
The Warriors did something that Kobe and the Lakers couldn’t do last year against the one of the West’s top teams in the Suns and hold on to a 3-1 lead?
The Suns ended up coming back from a 3-1 deficit and claimed the series against the Lakers, but eventually lost in the Western Conference finals. No one imagined this happening, but the Warriors barely got into the playoffs. They needed a huge eight-player deal to change the look of the team and produce more wins down the stretch.
Most casual NBA fans don’t even know half the players on the Warriors’ roster, including the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2006-2007 season, guard Monta Ellis.
With the Warriors winning this series, it will be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. But, can Davis and his teammates ride this wave of momentum deeper into the playoffs?
It won’t be a walk in the park, as talent-rich teams like the Spurs and Suns are armed with experience, something the Warriors lack. The Warriors have the playmakers on the roster to make a run through the playoffs. It will be interesting to see if the team is capable of “not letting up” in the second round of the playoffs.
Don Nelson knew something about his old team, and that made the difference in this series. His game-planning was remarkable. His players were well-prepared and were flawless with their execution. Will the Warriors be a force in the playoffs? Tune in to to the rest of the playoffs and find out.
