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The Dallas Mavericks will take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Wednesday for the first matchup of a two-game set. Their second matchup in this back-to-back series is scheduled for Friday at the American Airlines Center in Texas.
Match Details
Fixture - Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time - Wednesday, December 1st, 2021; 8:00 PM ET (Thursday, December 2nd; 6:30 AM IST)
Venue - Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Dallas Mavericks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks are having an unexpected season. They are above .500 so far with a 10-9 record but are negative in points differential. That is because they are winning games by close margins and are getting blown out in their losses.
The Mavericks started the season strong, facing a bevy of inferior rosters, but struggled against playoff teams. Ever since Luka Doncic hurt his ankle, they have lost five of their last six games.
The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a disappointing 18-point loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers despite Doncic recording 25 points, including 7 three-pointers.
Kristaps Porzingis hasn't been the ideal running mate for Doncic. He constantly gets hurt and isn't a reliable star, while his scoring has taken a hit as well. Tim Hardaway Jr. needs to improve his scoring and efficiency or else the Mavericks will find it difficult to win games.
Key Player - Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is the Dallas Mavericks' sole offensive focal point. He leads the NBA in usage rate with 35.8% and averages roughly 75 pick-and-rolls per 100 possessions.
Naturally, if you remove a high-usage player like Doncic, who runs the entire offense, from the lineup, the team will lose games. He needs to improve his numbers and put himself back in the MVP conversation.
Dallas Mavericks Predicted Lineup
G - Luka Doncic | G - Tim Hardaway Jr. | F - Dorian Finney-Smith | F - Kristaps Porzingis | C - Moses Brown
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans aren't expected to win many games unless Zion Williamson returns. The third-year star is one of the biggest anchors in their offensive system, and his absence has led to an abysmal 6-17 start for the team. The Pelicans did beat teams like the LA Clippers and Utah Jazz through grit and grind, but nobody expects them to make the playoffs at this rate.
Williamson is still weeks away from returning, and it might be too late by then. He is officially cleared for full on-court activities and team practices. With an unclear return timeline for him, the New Orleans Pelicans will be heavily reliant on Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas to win games.
Coach Willie Green provided an update on his star forward's status, saying:
"Doctors are encouraged by what they see...He is progressing to do on-the-court work, 5-on-0, 1-on-0. He’s still not (cleared for) 5-on-5 competitively yet, but he’s progressing pretty well right now....He’s cutting, doing explosive work, running, so he’s getting closer and closer."
"But it’s one of those injuries where we want to be really diligent, especially with the foot. We want to be careful with when we put him back on the floor at full go."
Key Player - Brandon Ingram
Jonas Valanciunas has been excellent for the New Orleans Pelicans, but Brandon Ingram needs to be the best version of himself if the team wants to win games.
Ingram is averaging 21.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game on 43/36/83 shooting splits.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G - Devonte' Graham | G - Brandon Ingram | F - Josh Hart | F - Herbert Jones | C - Jonas Valanciunas
Mavericks vs Pelicans Match Prediction
The Dallas Mavericks are obvious favorites to win this game, considering their superior roster. They are 4th in the West, while the New Orleans Pelicans are 14th. Moreover, the Pelicans are bottom-table in nearly every offensive and defensive category.
Where to watch the Mavericks vs Pelicans game
The matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans will be broadcast locally on Bally Sports Southwest - Dallas (SW-DAL) and Bally Sports New Orleans (NO). The game can also be live-streamed via the NBA League Pass.
Fans can tune in to the radio at ESPN 100.3FM and 97.1 FM / S: 99.1 FM to listen to the live commentary of the game.
Guess the Lakers players!
