Mavericks vs Lakers Matchup has been circled on the calendar. Since the shocking Luka Doncic–Anthony Davis trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers and Davis to the Mavericks, fans have been itching to see the two go up against their former teams. They won’t see it in full tonight due to an injury that will keep Davis out for at least two more weeks, but they will see Doncic face the Mavs. How will these two teams fare against each other?
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Trade Effect so Far
Since the trade on February 2nd, it’s clear which team has been better. While the Mavs are a respectable 5-4, winning five of their last seven, the Lakers are 6-2 in that timeframe. Surprisingly, four of those six games were won without Doncic on the court. It’s important to remember that Doncic is still recovering from injury and has not gotten consistent playing time since Christmas, playing in just four games since becoming a member of the Lakers.
Doncic’s first three games since the trade were underwhelming for his standards. Averaging just 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in those games, it seemed that he was struggling to perform at the level he’s been at for his whole career. Saturday in Denver, however, he put up 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and even four steals in an emphatic victory over the second-place Nuggets. LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura also put up 20+.
The Mavs lost the first two games immediately after trading Doncic but have since won five of their last seven despite only one game from newly acquired Anthony Davis. That game, however, was a big 26-point, 16-rebound performance on February 8th against the Rockets before he left in the third quarter with a lower-body injury.
A big contributor to the Mavs’ recent success in the absence of Davis has been Kyrie Irving, who has averaged 27.1 points since the February 2nd trade. Irving put up 42 on February 12th vs. the Warriors, and 35 against the Pelicans last Friday. If the Mavs continue to see Kyrie consistently put up high-scoring performances, they should be in a good position to win games.
Overall this Season
It’s hard to judge these teams based on their performance this whole season since they’re both so different from where they started, but there are a few factors that may be important to note.
First, the Lakers are 19-7 at home. In many cases, home court advantage doesn’t make too much of a difference, but not in the Crypto.com arena. Los Angeles is a strong home team, and that doesn’t fare well for the Mavs who are 13-16 on the road.
The Lakers are 22-12 against Western Conference opponents this year, while the Mavericks are 22-19. This is very uneven, but the Lakers own the better record here. Unless they were to lose their next seven games against Western Conference teams, the Lakers are better in-conference.
Key Players
In tonight’s matchup, look out for Kyrie Irving as he continues his hot stretch. He is the main reason for the Mavs’ recent success, and his performance on the court tonight will be the key for Dallas to overcome their former franchise player.
Speaking of which, all eyes are obviously on Luka Doncic tonight as he faces his former team for the first time. Coming off a breakout 32-point performance after getting off to a slow start in Los Angeles, Doncic looks to continue his success tonight against the team that traded him away.
LeBron James is always a player to watch. The 40-year-old has been averaging almost 30 points since the start of February, and it is clear he has taken no backseat even with a newly acquired and much younger superstar beside him.
Injuries
Heading into the game, the Lakers have just one injury, Maxi Kleber (foot). Meanwhile, the Mavs are dealing with Anthony Davis (groin), Daniel Gafford (knee), Dwight Powell (hip), Caleb Martin (hip), and Dereck Lively II (ankle).
Prediction
Based on all the factors mentioned, the Lakers are the clear favorites to win this game. They have everything in their favor and are simply the better team. Even the things Dallas has done well the Lakers have done just as well or better. If Kyrie can have another big game, it’ll make things interesting, but it looks like Luka is favored over his old team.
