Dallas Underdogs Again? NBA on TNT Crew Picks Timberwolves Over Mavericks
After overcoming the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in six games, one would think the Dallas Mavericks would get some respect as a legitimate title contender from the national media. However, this didn’t appear to be the case from TNT’s “Inside the NBA” crew on Sunday night, as they unanimously picked Dallas’ opposition to prevail over them.
After reviewing the Timberwolves’ and Nuggets’ Game 7, Ernie Johnson asked his co-hosts for their predictions for the upcoming Western Conference Finals. Former NBA superstar and ex-Maverick Vince Carter was the first to give his opinion, predicting the Timberwolves would prevail over his former team.
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“I like Minnesota’s defense, and I think they can handle the offense of Dallas,” Carter said. “The question is can Minnesota keep these young guys off the glass.”
Former NBA MVP Charles Barkley also picked the Timberwolves, stating, “I think this is going to be a fabulous series, I like the Wolves.” After giving his opinion, Barkley added some comedy to his statement, howling at the moon like someone afflicted with lycanthropy.
Kenny Smith seemed to be more hesitant to make a pick, stating “man, that's tough.” However, Smith would go on to cautiously agree with his fellow co-hosts, stating “I have to say it will be the Minnesota Timberwolves… but I might change my mind.” Ultimately, the former NBA champion elected to “wait” to give his opinion on the impending series.
Ernie Johnson echoed Kenny Smith’s uncertainty, reminding the audience that he “liked” the Mavericks throughout the 2024 playoffs, stating “they find a way.” However, the TNT host would go on to agree with Carter and Barkley, saying “there is some kind of vibe surrounding the Timberwolves… When you've had that kind of year… and you’ve come back and you win the series, coming back the way they did in Denver… I just have a feeling that Minnesota is going to the NBA Finals.”
While Minnesota defeated the Mavericks three out of four times during the regular season, the circumstances surrounding those contests were completely different than what we have with the current match-up.
All four meetings took place before Nico Harrison overhauled the Mavs’ roster by trading for PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. These trades changed everything for Dallas, making it an instant title contender. Also, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were only simultaneously active for one of the four games, and that was the game Dallas was victorious. Given this information, it isn't beyond reason to believe that the Western Conference Finals could be a completely different story than the regular-season series.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is slated for Wednesday, May 20, starting at 7:30 p.m. CT.
