As they say, be careful what you wish for.

Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl made some recent comments that could potentially fire up his first round opponent in the NBA playoffs. Speaking to ESPN Radio, Karl suggested that the Nuggets would rather play the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs rather than the Oklahoma City Thunder.

According to NBA odds makers, both teams are equal at 20-1 to win the NBA Championship.

The difference between the two squads is blatantly obvious to everyone – not only to Karl. The Mavericks had been one of the best teams in the NBA throughout most of the season and looked unstoppable during a run where they won 21 of 22 games. But as the playoffs approach, the Mavs are slumping with just an 8-9 record in their last 17 games. The bigger concern for the Mavericks is they have lost nine straight against Western Conference playoff teams.

On the flip side, the Thunder have been outstanding since acquiring center Kendrick Perkins from the Boston Celtics. The Thunder have won 16 of their last 20 games and look like a serious threat to win the Western Conference.

The Nuggets have a good track record against Dallas this season as they have won three of the four meetings between the teams this season.

Even so, you have to be careful what you wish for. The Nuggets may have had an excellent shot to upend the Mavericks, who were deep in a slumber, but now they have woken them up. The Mavs will be fired up to play Denver – if that is in fact their first round series – and they definitely won’t overlook them in any way, shape or fashion.

The NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching and we’ll soon find out whether Karl’s comments will hurt his team’s chances.