With the Dallas Mavericks currently sitting in the seventh spot in the NBA Western Conference with four games to play, some analysts are already starting to debate on who the ideal playoff match-up for the Mavericks would be in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.
According to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, the Oklahoma City Thunder may be the answer to that question: "Primarily, they beat the Thunder in two of three meetings this season. Admittedly, Russell Westbrook missed one of those games. But that’s part of what the Thunder has to deal with on a regular basis."
Sefko argues that the health issues which seem to dog the Oklahoma City Thunder could present an advantage for an athletic defender such as Shawn Marion, who could force a battered Thunder squad to expend energy they may not have at this point of the season.
If the season ended today, the Dallas Mavericks would face the second-seeded OKC Thunder in the first round. However, the Mavs are just a half-game ahead of the Phoenix Suns in eighth, and a game-and-a-half ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies who currently are on the outside of the playoff picture in ninth.
In that light, nothing has been settled for the Dallas Mavericks and their fans going into the final four games of the season, so the Mavericks may not have room to be choosy at this juncture.