With the Timberwolves beating the Nuggets 98-90 in the tiebreaker, they are officially on the stage of the Western Conference finals, and they will meet the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, which is also the first time the two sides have met in the Western Conference finals. Before the start of this season's playoffs, I believe many people could not have predicted that the Mavericks and Timberwolves would enter the Western Conference Finals, but both teams played surprising performances to break the doubt. Before the start of the Western Finals, the editor also made an all-round comparison of the strength of the two teams!
Point guard: Doncic vs. Conley
This season's Doncic once again ushered in a metamorphosis and upgrade, jumped to the league's scoring champion, showed extremely terrifying offensive firepower, and became a strong contender for MVP, with very strong strength. After entering the playoffs, Doncic's firepower has slowed down, but he still plays very strongly, and he is still the most reliable player in this Mavericks. On the other hand, Conley, although his style of play is still unpretentious and very practical, but the years are indeed unforgiving, and he obviously has lost his peak skills. In a direct conversation with Doncic, it was clear that Doncic, who was in the prime of life, won completely!
Shooting guard: Irving vs Edwards
This season, Irving has changed his previous demon behavior, has become very motivated and focused, and has also become a key Mr. for the Mavericks. As long as Irving puts his mind on the court, he can still be trusted. And Edwards played a phenomenal performance in the playoffs this season, he not only transformed and upgraded successfully, but also played a very convincing performance, full of superstars. Although Owen is good enough, in the comparison of the current Edwards, it is still not enough!
Small forward: Derrick Jones Jr. vs. McDaniels
When the Mavericks face the Timberwolves, the most difficult position is the forward position, their starting small forward Derrick Jones is just a functional player, averaging more than 20 minutes per game, and his performance is decent, even a bit of a fake starter. The Timberwolves' McDaniels, on the other hand, has top-tier defensive prowess and has improved significantly on the offensive end. In the competition of small forwards, the Timberwolves also have the advantage!
Power forward: Washington vs Downs
Since being traded to the Mavericks in the middle of the season, Washington has quickly gained the trust of the coaching staff, has his own position, and has secured the team's starting position, which has well alleviated the Mavericks' lack of strength at the front. And after entering the playoffs, Washington's performance was pleasantly surprised enough to relieve the pressure on the Eastern European pair. Downs, on the other hand, has changed dramatically this season, gradually starting to shed the name of a statistic brush, and in addition to continuing to be aggressive on the offensive end, he has also improved significantly on the defensive end. Against the Downs, Washington will face a huge test.
Center: Gafford vs Gobert
As a blue-collar interior lineman who eats cakes, Gafford has a very high finishing efficiency under the basket, and next to Irving and Doncic, two cake masters, Gafford has played an excellent finishing efficiency. On top of that, Gafford is very mobile and not afraid of confrontation, and his defensive performance is also remarkable. The Timberwolves' Gobert can be called the ceiling of active blue-collar players, he not only has top-level defensive skills, but also has a good ability to eat ice. In the competition for the center position, the Timberwolves still have the advantage!
Sixth: Lively II vs Reed
Although Lively II is only a rookie player, he has shown great immediacy, has been firmly in the team's rotation, and has gradually developed into the most relied on player on the team's bench. As the playoffs progressed, Lively's role became more and more important. Although Reid served as a substitute for the team, he played steadily on both offensive and defensive ends, which was a good way to relieve the pressure on the starters. On the whole, in the competition of the sixth man, the strength of the two teams is evenly matched!
Combined with the comprehensive performance of this season's playoffs, the Mavericks and the Timberwolves have distinct characteristics, in the competition of 6 positions, the Mavericks only have an absolute advantage in Doncic, and the Timberwolves' comprehensive strength and squad depth are stronger, which also makes the balance of victory gradually tilt in favor of the Timberwolves. However, this season's Mavericks are not favored, all the way to the Western Conference finals, and they must have their own way to win, and the final win or loss of this round of the series may be difficult to predict!
Who do you think will win the final series, the Mavericks or the Timberwolves? #头条创作挑战赛#