How the Mavs can win the title THIS year

The Dallas Mavericks will open up the playoffs facing the San Antonio Spurs. While this will prove to be a daunting task, no Ginobili and a banged-up Duncan could make the raod easier. I'll go deeper into this matchup when I break down the individual matchups for the first round.

Let's just say that this series is entirely winnable, and with the way the Mavs have been playing of late, they should be able to stop the Spurs.

They will play the winner of the Hornets-Nuggets series, which will probably be the Nuggets. While Chris Paul will probably have a big series and David West should have some good games, I think Chauncey will make enough of a difference to help the Nuggets finally advance past the first round.

The Mavericks haven't fared well against the Nuggets this season, but I see no reason why they can't beat them in seven games. Chauncey Billups provides a good matchup for Kidd, but I think that Kidd wins that battle, since Billups lacks the explosiveness of Paul and Parker.

They can put someone like Howard or Wright on 'Melo, and I don't see J.R. Smith dropping 30 points a game like he tends to do against the Mavs in their regular season matchups.

If the Mavs can steal one at the Pepsi Center, then they could very well advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Let's look at the other side of the West. We assume the Lakers will beat the Jazz, probably in four or five games. We can also assume that the Blazers can beat the Rockets, although Aldridge will have his hands full with Scola, the combination of Pryzbilla and Oden and their 12 fouls should be enough to stop Yao.

The Blazers are the one team that the Lakers should be afraid of in the playoffs. They matchup very well with one another, and I think Aldrige and Pryzbilla/Oden can really make life hard for Gasol and Bynum down low, and I think Outlaw could make things hard for Odom.

Let's say the Blazers steal either game one or game two at the Staples Center. The Rose Garden will be on FIRE, and the Blazers should be able to take care of business there. Let's say the Blazers win in five, maybe six, because they are capable of stealing more than one at the Staples Center.

Then you've got a Mavs/Blazers western conference finals, which is the perfect scenario for any Mavs fan. They Mavs have had the Blazers' number at the Rose Garden, and they match up very well with the Blazers.

Steve Francis isn't the kind of explosive PG that can exploit Kidd, and Jerryd Bayless is too young to really make a difference, although he should be capable of it one day. Wright should be able to stop the bleeding with Roy, and the only real worry is Aldrigde.

He averaged 18.7 PPG on 57 percent shooting this year against the Mavs, but I don't think he's ready to take over a series yet. Mavs can win in five or six.

Now, let's look at the East. I think we can safely assume that the Cavs, Heat, Magic and Celtics will advance to the conference semi-finals.

The Cavs will have their hands full with Wade, but the Heat won't beat them. The Celtics should already be afraid of the Magic, and with KG out, I don't think Pierce and Allen will be able to handle the load, particularly when the Magic's interior defense is so strong.

I don't think the Celtics can win four games from the perimeter.

So you've got the Magic and the Cavs in the Eastern Finals, which is exactly what the Cavs should be afraid of. The Magic are a great road team, going 27-14 on the road. If any Eastern team is capable to getting a win at the Q, it's the Magic.

And we've already seen what kind of beatdown the Magic are capable of laying on the Cavs. With a player like Howard ruling the paint, LeBron's go to scoring isn't so easy, and he can expect to earn every point he gets (barring of course, a 2006 Finals version of the officials, which actually isn't that far fetched).

The biggest hurdle is that the Magic will have to win in five games, which will be tough. But if they can take care of business at home, and avoid a LeBron in game seven, they can do it in six.

It's not a lock by any means, but stranger things have happened.

Then you've got yourself a Magic-Mavs finals, which would be something. Finally, some fresh blood in the finals.

While the Magic are a good team, after all, they beat the Cavs and Celtics, the Mavericks match up well with them. Don't expect J.J. Barea to get much time, because the Magic have a lot of tall shooters, but the Mavs are pretty good perimeter defenders, and I think a combination of Hollins' speed and Dampiers' bulk should be able to stop Dwight Howard, at least, as much as can be hoped.

And there you have it, how the Dallas Mavericks can win the title in 2009. At 60-1 odds according to Vegas, I would think about placing that bet.

Admit it, it's not as far fetched as you thought. Everything I've proposed is possible.

The biggest leaps are the Blazers bating the Lakers and the Magic beating the Cavs, but it could happen. We've seen it happen a few times this season, and there's no reason it can't happen in the playoffs.

Week in Review: 1/18-1/25

Introducing a new feature here at Dirk Is My Homeboy: The Week in Review.

Here I will discuss the past week in Mavs games, and what we've learned over the course of the week.

This is the beginning of what I hope will me more updates, as I need to stop slacking and tighten up.

Without further ado:

Though the week began with a thrilling buzzer-beater from the Dirkster, the afterglow soon faded away.

While a win over a disintegrating Pistons team is nice, two blowouts are never a good thing, even if the opponents represent the spectrum of the Eastern Conference playoff teams.

While we might want to refrain from playing "Taps," it seems much closer than any sort of playoff win.

This week the Mavs play two franchises who have done a large part in getting us to where we are today. Will the thought of revenge spark the Mavs into getting better?

Last week's scores

1/19: Mavs 95, 76ers 93
1/21: Mavs 99, Bucks 133
1/23: Mavs 112, Pistons 91

Uhh...I think that's all the games they played. What's that? No, I've never heard of the....the Keltics, is that what you call them? Okay, fine...

1/25: Mavs a little, Celtics a lot

Satisfied? No. Jeez, you people are monsters.

1/25: Mavs 100, Celtics 124

I guess we can all take consolation in the fact that the Celtics beat them by less than the Bucks. You'll excuse me if that doesn't make me want to celebrate. Drink heavily, yes. But no celebrating.

The main problem from the Mavericks has been their lack of defense. They've allowed 100 points way too many times this year, and they've allowed more than 120 three times in the last nine games.

It seems like the Mavs are becoming a D'Antoni/Nellie style team, emphasis on the run-and-gun, and little defensive committment.

Which is all fine and dandy, after all, those teams were always fun to watch, and they tend to make use out of minimal talent. Don't believe me? Look what D'Antoni is doing to the Knicks with the talent they've got.

But herein lies to rub: The Mavs aren't dynamic/consistent enough to outscore people night after night.

With the Iverson Nuggets, the D'Antoni Suns, and the Baron Davis Warriors, you knew they were capable of winning a 130-120 game. I don't think these Mavericks can do it.

Terry is a streaky shooter, even though he's having an amazing year. Josh Howard is also streaky, especially when he falls in love with his jumper.

Despite all that has gone wrong, I remain faithful that the Mavs have the talent to put it all together, hopefully in time to make a deep playoff run.

And that my friends, might be the saddest delusion of all.