![]() ![]() ![]() If you haven’t been paying attention, second-leading scorer Jamal Murray (20.2 ppg) and Michael Porter Jr. That would bring about immense pressure for Jokic and the Nuggets to thrive in the playoffs. Reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokic will likely capture the award for the third time in a row if he remains healthy and continues to produce gaudy numbers while leading his team to the No. 2 Grizzlies) to prioritize health down the stretch while priming rotations that will include trade deadline acquisitions Reggie Jackson and Thomas Bryant. Luckily though, the Nuggets put in the hard work over their first 59 games to build enough cushion (a five-game lead over the No. Hopefully, Denver rested up adequately during the break because it faces three significant tests over these next four days with road trips to Cleveland (25-6 at home) and Memphis (24-5 at home) on Thursday and Saturday, followed by a Sunday home clash against the LA Clippers. The Nuggets return from the All-Star break with a 5-game lead atop the Western Conference. But ultimately that won’t be enough to lift Dallas over its defensive issues and beyond the Western semis. If he’s successful and the team stays healthy, it could end up peaking at just the right time. 11 Utah Jazz.Ĭoach Jason Kidd will need to optimize his rotations around new addition Irving and franchise star Doncic while implementing the reinforcements returning from injury. 3 Sacramento and 1 ½ games behind the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns, but just two ahead of the No. Doncic believes the Mavs have “a dangerous team” when fully healthy, and merely advancing to the postseason isn’t the immediate goal. (hamstring) and Davis Bertans (calf) have been out nursing injuries. ![]() Kleber, who is the team’s best defender, missed 33 games while Tim Hardaway Jr. The porous defense should improve once anchor Maxi Kleber (torn hamstring) returns. The Mavs are 0-2 so far with the Doncic-Irving pairing, and just 22 games remain, with three teams (New Orleans, Golden State and Minnesota) breathing down their necks in the conference standings.ĭallas needs to hit the ground running during the upcoming homestand because, after that, just six games remain at American Airlines Center for a team that is 12-19 on the road. But Dallas gave up its best perimeter defender (Dorian Finney-Smith) in the trade, weakening an already sieve-like unit. Yes, the team made waves in pulling off the blockbuster trade that landed eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving to pair with the NBA’s leading scorer in Luka Doncic. ![]() Coming out of it, we’ll learn quite a bit from an upcoming six-game homestand that could ultimately decide the season. Here’s how the Western Conference playoff picture stands with the Play-In Tournament less than two months away.ĭallas dropped three in a row going into the All-Star break. The NBA season resumes on Thursday after an action-packed All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The Mavs acquired Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline to pair with NBA leading scorer Luka Doncic for their playoff push. ![]()
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