3 things to watch for when the Mavericks clash with the Nuggets

The Mavericks will be without Luka Doncic, but have built some momentum during a three-game win streak.

The Dallas Mavericks (8-7) are back on the road to face the Denver Nuggets (8-5) Friday night at 9 PM CT on ESPN, their third contest in group play for the 2024 NBA Cup. After dropping their first cup game to the Golden State Warriors the Mavericks went on to blow out the New Orleans Pelicans at home earlier this week. The Mavericks currently find themselves in second place in West Group C, thanks to their enormous point differential.

It was revealed Thursday morning that Dallas will be without Luka Doncic on Friday, and the near future, after suffering a right wrist sprain in their 41-point win against the Pelicans. Doncic had just returned from a one game absence, sitting out their previous win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Injury has been the primary story to the superstar’s season. He sat out all of preseason and has looked uncomfortable for large portions of his 14 games. Even still Doncic is averaging 28.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.6 assists on the year, so that production missing for any extended period of time proves a challenge.

This will be the second meeting of these teams this season. The Mavericks dropped their first in Denver, a 122-120 barn burner where Kyrie Irving (43 points, 6-of-8 from three) and Nikola Jokic (37 points, 18 rebounds, 15 assists) exchanged body blow after body blow. This second matchup could look rather different — not just because of Doncic’s absence, but possibly the three-time MVP as well. Jokic has missed the last three Nuggets games for personal reasons (the birth of his child), and was not present for Thursday’s practice. The Nuggets have gone 1-2 during that time, losing to both the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies before beating the Grizzlies earlier this week.

Here’s what we’ll watch for in Friday’s edition!

Depth strength

The Mavericks’ most dynamic offensive player this season has undoubtedly been Kyrie Irving. The 32-year old guard is off to a scorching start, scoring less than 20 points just four out of his 14 appearances and three of those games were in blowout wins. His nearly 54-percent from three has been a stabilizing force for an offense badly lacking in consistent outside shooting. And his dynamic scoring off the dribble continues to impress even as he enters the back end of his prime. The Mavericks having Irving to lead while Doncic is away is a huge boost.

But what could be the biggest differentiator Friday night should the Nuggets also be without their superstar is the Mavericks’ depth. The Nuggets have hurt all season with a bench unit lacking in several ways and have overcome that because of a strong starting group and the otherworldly play of Jokic, who is putting up career numbers across the board.

Dallas will need strong play from the starting core behind Irving. Washington was a monster in Doncic’s absence against OKC. Washington was out the last time these teams met. With Aaron Gordon still recovering from injury, the Mavericks will need all of Washington. But it’s worth noting that the Mavericks had seven players score in double figures against the Thunder. With Doncic out, a balanced attack against a team lacking depth may be the recipe for a win.

Rebound return

Jokic completely dominated the glass against Dallas in their previous bout. Of his 18 boards, eight were on the offensive side. Washington and second year big man Dereck Lively II, who has recently been promoted to starter, were both absent in that matchup. Those two are first and third in rebounds per game for Dallas this season (Doncic is second). Whether or not Jokic plays, who at the time of this writing is still listed as “Questionable”, could really shift the rebounding battle in this game.

The Mavericks have had trouble most of the season with protecting the glass. But in their current three-game win streak they have won the rebound battle in all three, and matched or led in offensive boards. Eliminating second chances is the name of the game, and creating more opportunity for yourself is key.

Offensive flow

The Mavericks are in process of adjusting some of the offensive flow in the half court as they incorporate new pieces, some of whom (like Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall) are more than capable ball-handlers. This has dispersed some of Doncic’s half court playmaking duties, and allowed for a more even attack.

This was even more evident in their game without Doncic against the Thunder over the weekend. The team looks comfortable increasing pace, zipping the ball around, and counter-attacking a defense in rotation. Look for this to be the engine Friday night.

How to watch

Tip-off is set for 9 PM CT, and can be watched on ESPN nationally, or locally through Channel 29 and MavsTV.