NBA Playoff Previews: New Orleans vs. Dallas

With the NBA playoffs beginning on Saturday, that means Foul Balls is allowed to start enjoying basketball again. So throughout the day today, I will be previewing each of the eight first round matchups.

Why You Should Watch This Series: Oh man, there are a million reasons to watch them, and half of those have something to do with Chris Paul. Not to mention there's the matchup of the greatest point guard of the future (Paul) against the greatest point guard of the past, Jason Kidd. Plus, after taking a lot longer than expected, the Mavericks have finally adapted to playing alongside Kidd, and they've been playing well lately.

Why New Orleans Will Win This Series: Because Chris Paul is freaking awesome, and they'd all like to prove that this season was not a fluke. The Hornets stood atop the Western Conference for most of the season before losing the top spot in the final week, yet they hardly got any credit for it during the year. If they take out the Mavs in the first round, they'll finally get that respect.

Why Dallas Will Win This Series: I know it's a cliche, but experience really does play a large part in playoff basketball. This Mavericks team is a few years removed from the NBA Finals, and they're playoff tested. The team they're playing against are not. Plus, it seems as if there's no pressure on the Mavs this season as nobody expects them to win anymore, which could make a big difference in how well Dirk plays.

Who Will Win This Series: Dallas 4-3. I'd like the Hornets to win this series just to ensure another round of getting to watch Chris Paul play, but I think the Mavs' experience and all around more balanced play will win it for them in the end. They split the four games they played during the regular season, with the home team winning each game, but I think Dallas can steal a game in New Orleans.