Things to Look for in the Dallas Mavs-OKC Thunder Series

Tonight, one of the more exciting Western Conference Finals in recent memory begins. In Dallas, a team of aging veterans hungry for their first-ever championship rings will square off against the youth of a modern Western Conference force. Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder commence an epic showdown.

There will most definitely be fireworks tonight, but there are five big questions going into this series. Here’s what to look for in this series:

1. Will the Youth of Oklahoma City Defeat Dallas’ Veteran Experience?

While the storyline for the 2010-11 Mavericks has been one of aging veterans hungry for a title, the Thunder’s story has been about a rising generation of superstars. The average age of the Thunder, 24.4 years of age, is one of the youngest of any team in the NBA. In comparison, the Mavericks have an average age of around 30 and are one of the oldest teams in NBA.

While age would imply that the Thunder will be able to pull off more minutes and better gameplay, the Mavs have a trump card of deep playoff experience. While no player on the Mavs has a ring, combined as a whole, the Mavs have played a total of over 600 playoff games. This is a team that has consistently gotten close and this may be their year to break through. It will be a battle of wills to see if the old school can beat the new school.

2. What will have a bigger effect? OKC’s seven game series or Dallas’ extended rest?

Similarly to the age question, the rest question is a valid argument to look at from both angles. Oklahoma City had a grueling seven game set against the Memphis Grizzlies, including a memorable game four that went into triple overtime. The Dallas Mavericks took a consecutive nine games off after sweeping the LA Lakers.

OKC has the upper hand in this one, as they are young and able to endure a seven game series. One night is probably all they need to recover, and they got it. The Mavs, with their extended break, will be rusty as they start off. It’s been close to 200 hours since Dallas finished a romping of the Lakers to sweep their way to the conference finals, and it’s highly unlikely that they will be the high-octane offense they were in the semi-finals for the first few games.

3. Will Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki cancel each other out?

The two superstars of the series, Kevin Durant of the Thunder and Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks, face off in the most critical matchup of the series. Both big men can score in any capacity, whether it be the post game, the perimeter or the circus shot around defenders. Both will be scoring 20+ points in each game and there is a good chance that their competition will decide the series.

Durant has an advantage with age and endurance, but Nowitzki is an elite endgame closer. Shawn Marion and Serge Ibaka will have their respective hands full in trying to defend two offensive powerhouses. Despite what they do, points will be coming in from all directions from Durant and Nowitzki.

4. Will Jason Terry and the Mavericks bench outlast the Thunder’s bench?

Jason Terry has been clear about his mental attitude regarding his performance against the bench of the Thunder. As he says in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “I’m trying to out-perform their entire bench, that’s what I do.”

Terry ran up the scoreboard against the Lakers, especially when he nailed nine shots from three-point land in game four. Including the regular season, when Terry outscores an opposing team’s bench, the Mavericks are 10-2. Terry is more than capable of coming up with a big game and this should be expected throughout this series.

When considering that Terry is just the star of the Dallas bench, it becomes a frightening thought to opposing teams. Peja Stojakovic and JJ Barea are offensive stars who can easily put in double-digits during a game and Corey Brewer is a strong defensive threat. It will be interesting to see if James Harden and the other OKC bench stars will rise to the occasion.

5. Will Roddy Beaubois make an appearance for the Mavs in this series?

Yes, this one is far-fetched, but the possibility may as well be addressed. Beaubois has only been active for one game since the end of the regular season and hasn’t played in more than a month. Even though DeShawn Stevenson has been a strong starter in Beaubois’ place, and the Mavs have been winning without Beaubois, another weapon on the bench is an asset to Dallas. Beaubois, like other bench players, can put in double digits in a game and make a team get nervous on defense. His return also is an open question, but by the way Dallas has been playing, coach Rick Carlisle will probably keep the status quo.

Tipoff for the Western Conference showdown is at the American Airlines Center at 8 p.m. and will be on ESPN.

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