Razorbacks Will Play Key Role in Who Makes Western Conference Finals

Arkansas impact both for Mavericks, Thunder crucial in NBA playoffs' second round

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams reacts to a big play on the court. / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS – The second round of the NBA playoffs will feature three more Hogs Arkansas fans actually know than they will see when John Calipari makes his debut as Razorbacks coach this fall.

Daniel Gafford, Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams, each distinct icons of their own eras of Arkansas basketball, will play a significant role in determining whether the Dallas Mavericks or Oklahoma City Thunder advance to the Western Conference finals to face the winner of Minnesota and Denver. No matter how it plays out, Arkansas fans win because not only is there a full series three hours or less away from a large number of Razorbacks fans, but it also guarantees there will be at least one former player in the conference finals playing at least two games within easy driving distance.

Early on against the Clippers, Dallas got away from what made the Mavs so dangerous once Gafford arrived alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving back in February. Instead of getting the former Arkansas center involved, coach Jason Kidd opted for a smaller line-up, barely letting Gafford on the floor.

Gafford technically started in the Game 1 loss that wasn't nearly as close as the final 109-97 score, but was limited to three points, one block and no rebounds in only 14 minutes. The trend continued the following game as Dallas struggled to squeak by Los Angeles while Gafford once again started, but played less than 10 minutes, accounting for one assist, one rebound and no points in a 96-93 win.

Finally, Kidd relented after watching his team slog through the first two games and let Gafford loose. In the three wins to close the series, all of which Dallas won by double digits, the Mavs let their center play between 19 and 26 minutes as he showed the same value he displayed in the regular season.

Gafford leaned on his signature shooting efficiency during those three games. While his 11-of-17 shooting was a far cry from his borderline historic regular season that saw him stopped him just shy of Wilt Chamberlin's league record of 35 consecutive shots made, it was still highly effective. He also provided an intimidating presence inside defensively with blocks, steals and rebounds piling up, closing off the free flow of Clippers' points in the paint.

"I try to forget the second [game I played against Oklahoma City] because I missed my Wilt Chamberlin record," Gafford said Monday. "In all honesty, I just go out and do my job. At the end of the day, with as much attention and, I would say gravity, that Luka and Kyrie pull toward them, it just opens the floor up for anybody out there. It's going to be a real good series for the bigs to just go out and set the tone physically because once we set the tone physically, I feel like we will be in a good place."

Meanwhile, Williams and Joe proved to be the quintessential role players every successful playoff team needs to avoid unforeseen upsets as the No. 1 seed. The pair combined for 100 minutes in Oklahoma City's four-game sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans.

That's the equivalent of 2.5 games worth of minutes for a top of the line starter. The key for role players in the playoffs as the line-ups are shortened is to provide as close to equal the production of a starter as possible.

Combined, Joe and Williams have averaged roughly the equivalent of 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block per game when extrapolated for the usual 40 minutes a reliable starter will play. That puts them equal or slightly better as a pair than the production of Luguentz Dort, the Thunder's starting guard who will probably get little rest again in this series since he is tasked with trying to slow Doncic.

The pair of former Razorbacks were the deciding factor in the opening game of the series against the Pelicans. Had it not been for their 11 points, four rebounds two assists and a steal over a shared 22 minutes, Oklahoma City doesn't survive a Game 1 upset bid, 94-92, and the series potentially takes a different turn.

At some point both Joe and Williams will have to deal with Gafford this series. Whether Williams is tasked with guarding Doncic when he comes in or finds himself guarding him as part of a defensive switch-off, one thing he will undoubtedly face is a patented screen from Gafford to free up the Mavs' most prolific shooter.

Meanwhile, Williams is going to spend 10-20 minutes per night in an absolute war with Gafford. Both are scrappers who will claw for rebounds and look for opportunities to get on the board with second chance points while leaving all challengers frustrated with their defense.

One way or another, this series is going to turn on the efforts of one or more Razorbacks. It's hard to tell which because of the four times these teams have played, all the stars who stack each roster have only been on the floor together once, a 146-111 blowout of the Thunder in Gafford's debut where he had 19 points and nine rebounds in only 17 minutes virtually fresh off the plane.

Either Dallas or Oklahoma City will go home broken-hearted when this is over, but either way Razorbacks fans win. Game 1 is tonight at 8:30 p.m. on TNT.

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