Dallas Mavericks: The ideal playoff bracket for the Mavs

Dallas Mavericks versus Milwaukee Bucks series preview

The formula for beating the Bucks in the playoffs has remained the same for years now. Teams build a wall to stop the Greek Freak from getting to the rim. Milwaukee’s goal with their acquisitions has been to make their offense less one-dimensional.

That’s where Jrue Holiday comes in. While adding Holiday’s elite defensive chops helps, the main goal was to add another playmaker and shot creator to take offensive pressure off of Giannis.

Again, this makes sense on paper. Holiday averaged 19 or more points in his last three seasons in New Orleans before joining the Bucks. However, Jrue has never been known for his offensive creation. There’s no doubt that the eldest Holiday brother can pour in points, but can he do it consistently enough to win the Bucks a title?

If not, that reverts Milwaukee to a one-dimensional offense. Making Giannis work is no easy task, but in a playoff environment with a seven-game series, teams have shown capable of slowing him enough to get past the Bucks on multiple occasions.

While there certainly are holes in the Mavericks roster, big bodies are not one of the areas that Dallas is lacking. Between Willie Cauley-Stein, Kristaps Porzingis, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, and Boban Marjanovic, the Mavs have plenty of weight (and fouls) to throw at the Greek Freak to make getting into the paint a hellish task.

The East is stronger this year. With Brooklyn’s scorching offense and immense star power, Philadelphia’s bruising size and staunch defense, and Miami’s toughness and overall versatility, Milwaukee is the easy choice for the Dallas Mavericks ideal NBA Finals matchup.