How the Denver Nuggets match up with the Dallas Mavericks
A matchup that will have every European basketball fan salivating as it features three of the continents’ biggest stars. Luka Doncic had MVP expectations this season that he hasn’t quite lived up to. Instead, it’s been Nikola Jokic who’s become the front-runner in that conversation. Nevertheless, Doncic will surely look to prove his dominance in the post-season.
The expectations were sky-high for the Mavericks this year, and they have somewhat not lived up to the hype. The issue has been on the defensive end as the Mavs hold the 19th best defensive rating in the league, behind teams like the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons.
Considering the Nuggets hold the sixth-best offensive rating, Dallas could find it hard to keep the ball out of their basket.
Offensive focal point: Luka Doncic
Luka Magic is special, everybody knows that. He’s so crafty with the ball in his hands that you don’t even notice that he’s not that athletic.
He isn’t scared to shoot it from anywhere, but he’s also an excellent playmaker. Despite just turning 22, he has averaged over 28 points, eight rebounds, and almost nine assists this season. It’s baffling how he hasn’t been in the MVP conversation more often this season.
Defensive stopper: Josh Richardson
Not much to choose from here. Josh Richardson‘s first season in Dallas has been somewhat disappointing. He’s averaging his second-lowest PPG total in his career (12.2) but still holds a lot of value on the defensive end.
He is by far the best perimeter defender on the Mavs and he would likely be tasked with slowing down Michael Porter Jr. In a potential series. However, at only 6-foot-5 and just 200 pounds, that might be a very tough ask of Richardson.
X factor: Kristaps Porzingis
The third of the elite euro-boys, Kristaps Porzingis has endured another injury-ridden campaign. However, when the unicorn is healthy, he is an absolute headache for opposing coaches.
An athletic 7-foot-3 frame with legitimate 3-point range, Porzingis also has an under-rated ability to protect the rim, which was evident last year when he was tied for sixth in blocks. If healthy expect 20-plus points a game from him. It’s also worth noting that the three-to-four inches he has on Nikola Jokic could cause the Serbian some problems scoring the ball.
Matchup to exploit:
The health of Porzingis will no doubt be key to slowing down Nikola Jokic. Anybody who thinks that Dwight Powell or Maxi Kleber can shut down the Joker must be senile.
Despite his height disadvantage against Porzingis, Jokic has more than 40 pounds on the Latvian. He must use his strength in this matchup and play some bully-ball against the lanky Porzingis, showing him who the top European big-man is in the process.