Playoffs: Scouting Rockets-Mavs

Insider offers a breakdown of every playoff series using an expert combination of scouting from Amin Elhassan and advanced metrics from Bradford Doolittle to answer three crucial questions. Also included are predictions from the writers, and ESPN's NBA Basketball Power Index projection for the series. Below is a series preview for the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.

After the last few offseasons these two Texas teams have had, it's only right that they'd finally duke it out in the context of a best-of-7 series. It started when the Mavs' intended free agent target, Dwight Howard, spurned them in favor of the up-and-coming Rockets. Dallas shortly thereafter hired Rockets exec Gersson Rosas as their GM, only to part ways with him a few short months afterward (he ended up returning to Houston). Then, last summer, the Mavs stole restricted free agent Chandler Parsons from Houston by crafting a cleverly structured deal that made matching unpalatable. Along the way, the organizations have exchanged words on various levels, from players to coaches to even owner Mark Cuban (shocker, right?). It's all good-natured rivalry, but now the two teams get to settle it on the hardwood, in only the third meeting in postseason history.