MVP!
We had the typical names listed as MVP candidates: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki. Some did speak of Davis but not very much. As the Mavericks rolled, the Suns ran teams off the floor, and Kobe Bryant continued to amaze those three ascended to the top of the talk again.

But after watching this series I believe Baron Davis should be the MVP. Without him this team probably does not make the playoffs. Without him they definitely don't beat the Mavericks.

He got hurt early in tonight's game and it looked like he might not come back. Even when he first entered the game he looked like he would be totally ineffective, a liability even. Instead, he reached within himself and played a beautiful game leading his team to a convicing victory over the hapless Dallas Mavericks.

Baron Davis, who I think is a jerk make no mistake, has tremendous heart. He did everything he could to will his team to victory (not just in the playoffs but in the late part of the season). The crowd rang out with chants of MVP and I couldn't agree more.

Golden State Warriors
There seems to be a stereotype that plagues the NBA, two actually. First, if you have a run-and-gun offense you can't or don't play defense. Two, if you are coached by Don Nelson you aren't concered with defense. Both are false. While Nellie certainly emphasises offensive production he did a good job of stopping the Mavs. The Warriors played swarming, attacking defense that forced the Mavericks into mistakes.

That's a big deal; you don't have to take the ball away, you just make them give it up. That's what the Warriors did. They attacked the ball handlers so fast they got flustered and lost composure, especially Dirk Nowitzki. Warriors basketball is fun basketball, high scoring and high pressure. High intensity on both ends of the floor. The Warriors have a lot of heart and it will be fun to see how far that heart takes them.

Dirk Nowitzki
Wow. Just wow. Talk about a guy with a ton of talent and absolutely no heart. Rather than responding with aggression and confidence when challenged he just curls up with a David Hasselhoff tape and some ice cream. Dirk Nowitzki is in no way a leader and should not be handed the reigns of a team.

Dirk needs a new home; the Mavericks need a new focus. How can the team collectively have heart if their so-called leader has none? Perhaps Josh Howard can turn things around. He was the Mavs best player during the series and maybe his desire can fuel the Mavericks to victory?

Whatever happens it's time for Dirk to move on. It was a good run, but he clearly doesn't have what it takes to take the Mavericks home. The Mavericks should look to get a true big man who can get on the block and beat some people up. I thought they made a good choice in keeping Dirk and not trading for Shaq, but I guess I was wrong.

In a related matter I'm selling two Dirk Nowitzki jerseys. One home and one away, both in mint condition as they are far too big for me to actually wear.

Mavericks Next Step
First, they must trade Dirk Nowitzki. The longer they waste time on him the longer it will be before they get to the Finals again. They can still get some good value for him and he'll make a great role-player on another team.

Perhaps they should send him to LA? Kobe Bryant basically gave the organization an ultimatum: get me some help or I'm out of here after next year. Dirk would provide some great help. Get him back on the perimetter where a weak player like him belongs and watch the threes drop.

The Mavericks could get maybe Lamar Odom and Luke Walton in return or maybe Vladimir Radmanovic? I think they should definitely go after Odom. Another possibility could be to send him to the Timberwolves but I fear what else they'd have to give up for Garnett. I'd rather keep Dirk on the roster, maybe as a 6th man?

How Far Will They Go?
Back to the Warriors. I think they'll beat either the Jazz or the Rockets. Phoenix versus San Antonio will be a good one. I like the Spurs (and will root for them) but part of me hopes/thinks Phoenix will win and we'll have Phoenix vs Golden State in the Western Conference Finals. Now that will be some exicting basketball!

I'm calling Chicago over Detroit. Chicago's playing well and I really like their dynamic. Ben Wallace has given them a real presence in the paint and their roster is solid. It's going to 7 games but I'm picking da Bulls. Cleveland over which ever team they face ultimately to fall to Chicago!

Phoenix over the Bulls in the Finals (6 games tops) and Steve Nash gets himself a title.

Final Thought on Mavs-Warriors
They say it's all about matchups, well I guess it's true. The Warriors had the Mavericks number all season. The Mavericks showed they were afraid of them by sitting the starters in the last regular season game against them. They said they were resting them but I'm pretty sure Avery only wanted the subs to lose so he's team wouldn't be traumatized. Turns out they were anyway.

The Warriors showed heart and deserved to win this series. But I hate Matt Barnes. Mostly for the hair, and I think he's a punk. I hate Stephen Jackson, cause he's a punk and nothing but. And I don't really like Baron Davis, just cause I think he has a bad attitude. But they played with heart and won the series. For that I give them credit and I really do like watching Warriors basketball. But now that my Mavs are out my loyalty shifts to the steady Spurs. Let's go San Antonio!

Who will win the Western Conference Finals?

Now we've got three game sevens to look forward to. One is tonight between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers. The next two are on Monday night in Pheonix and San Antonio respectively.

The Cavs shocked everybody when they actually won not one but two games. The biggest surprise was when they stole a game in Detroit and went up by one game on the team many NBA "experts" had stated would win the title easily and were "quite frankly" bored with the game.

Then LeBron James came alive and the kid some say is the next Michael Jordan (haven't heard that before) lead his team to a three game win streak. Of course, the Pistons won game 6 in Cleveland but they were certainly on the ropes.

Next, we've got the Clippers and the Suns. This series has gone back and forth. Neither team has won back to back games and it will be interesting to see who steps up on Monday. The Clippers have a serious shot at defeating the Suns but Pheonix's firepower could be too much. I think the Clips are the most likely underdog to pull off the upset. How amazing would a Mavs-Clips Western Conference finals be? I mean just over five years ago neither of these teams were near the top of the heap. Now, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to see them in the next round.

Finally, the Mavs-Spurs. I think this will be the most competitve of the three game 7's, based solely on the way this series has played out. The Mavs stole a game in San Antonio by blowing out the Spurs in Game 2 but that was clearly a fluke. Now, they'll have to prove they have the ability to bounce back from two striaght loses and win on the road. The Spurs are clutch, especially in elimination games, and have the killer instinct that experience provides.

I think that's what the Mavs lack and what will ultimately cost them this series. They've had their chance to knock the Spurs off but just couldn't push them over the edge. If they lose Monday it'll be a bitter pill to #### and may help them develop that instinct for next year. However, a win on Monday would help more and this series will make them better for the next round.

I haven't broken down the numbers but statistically one of these road teams has to win right? I mean I read that something like only 18% of road teams have won game 7's. So that's less than a quarter of the time. We've already had one other seven game series (Pheonix-Lakers) so there's one. We've got three more so the numbers are looking a little better. It's still tough for a road team to win an elimination game but I think the Clippers and Mavericks, especially, have a fair shot at winning their games. I wouldn't put it past the King and a returning Hughes to win in Detoit, either, but I think that's the least likely victory.

Clippers win, Spurs win, Pistons win.