First Round: Hornets vs Mavs

2. Hornets (56-26) vs 7. Mavs (51-31)

Regular Season Series: NOH 2-1

Point Differencial: DAL +2.0

This series will define how good of a coach is Avery Johnson. Forget the nightmares, forget the overcoaching, forget everything. His place in this team depends on this result. This series is the bomb! We have mismatches left and right, up and down. we have the quick point guard, the old and savy point guard, the post prescense and rim defender, the foreighn shooters, the dynamos coming from the bench,etc. Imagine you are Avery Johnson right now and this is your line of thinking:

Whose going to defend Chris Paul? Jason Kidd will be bitting his dust all series long. Jason Terry can match his speed but he will be in foul trouble before I can change my chewing gum. Josh Howard? What? Be real. Poker Face. Come on, man

What about David West? Dirk can't defend a folding chair. I guess Devean George could do the trick while West scores the first 12 points of the game Barea? Howard? Damn
How do I take Chandler out of the paint? Dampier can only catch and dunk and JKidd just taught him that. Can I use Bass as my center and playsmall ball like..like...

That's when the vein in his forhead explodes. (I'm not saying he talks like that. Maybe he thinks like that)

This is not going to be easy for any team. Before the Kidd trade they could have a shot in this series. I'm not taking anything away from Kidd but Harris and Diop are utterly missed right now. Harris'd gave them a better matchup against Paul and Diop would at least made Paul and West to think about before going into the paint. Across the street New Orleans is not so giggly about this matchup, Dallas has more experience and a HUUUUGE ship on their shoulder. New Orleans doesn't have permiter stoppers so they rely in team defense- a very good one- and Chandler rejecting everybody and that doesn't work to well against shooters like Nowitzki and Terry.

The Hornets can't underestimate Dirk Nowiztki. I know he's been through a lot and people - included myself - have wondered for awhile if this guy can hold a franchise in his shoulders but it will be dumb for the Hornets not to plan and adjust their defense around a very aggresive Nowitzki

Dallas needs to attack New Orleans' defense. Tyson Chandler can't stop them all. Stackhouse, Terry, George and Josh Howard need to perform a retlentess atack to the paint. They need an MVP effort from Nowitzki and a time machine for Kidd (so he can defend Paul). What Dallas must focus this series is trapping and somehow trying to slow down Paul with Kidd's size being the anchor of that scheme. I wont be easy.

X Factor: Avery Johson,I'll say it again. This is his moment. If he relies on the decision making of Jason Kidd, give their bechnenough confidence and believesin Dirk Nowitzki story -and let him know - will be very kind on him. The entire franchise's stability depends on him

Basketball Gods' prediction: NOH 4-2