NBA: DENVER NUGGETS vs DALLAS MAVERICKS

[Mary C]

 

This Saturday, October 30 10:00 AM, the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks will take over the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Betting on a winning team? Possibly even the season’s MVP? Competing for NBA season ‘21-’22 week 2, the Nuggets and Mavericks game will be one to watch out for.

 

Denver’s Nikola Jokic has been crowned the Most Valuable Player for season 2020-2021. Seeing this season’s performance, it looks like he’s on his way to earn that title once again for 2021-2022. During a game against the Utah Jazz, however, Jokic had an injury scare after hurting his knee this October 26. After reports that the player was indeed fit to continue for the season, safe to assume that Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone is relieved not to have to out their prized player. Can’t speak the same of Dallas, though, Jokic’s absence would’ve been their advantage. While Maverick’s young Luka Doncic is another powerful force to be reckoned with regardless of his age, last season’s results and this season’s progress so far have been in the Nuggets’ favor. The two team’s season averages are honestly pretty similar, almost equal even. The Mavericks and Nuggets’ most recent average points are at 102 and 102.3 respectively. Rebounds are at 50 and 42.3, assists at 21.7 and 22.8, FG% at 40.4 and 48.8, and so on. But when you put the points in the paint, second chance points, and fastbreak points in the equation, the Nuggets easily overpower the Mavericks.

 

Boring numbers and statistics aside, we’ve come to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of both teams beyond their star players. The Mavericks’ top strength would be inside shooting. Just behind Milwaukee and Miami, the team can score shots specifically from less than five feet away from the hoop. On the flip side, a weakness of the Mavericks is that they can’t keep a consistent offense when Doncic is benched. The Nuggets’ best attribute would be offensive versatility in the frontcourt. While a huge chunk of this can be attributed to Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr., the way these two play seamlessly involves the rest of the team working like clockwork. Their weakness, however, would be their perimeter defense— the weakness that made them fumble in last year’s playoffs. 

 

On that note, we can vouch for the Nuggets’ win on this game by 65.5%. Nikola Jokic is on top of the list again for this season’s MVP together with the Warriors’ Stephen Curry trailing closely behind. Watch out this October 30, 2021 at 10 AM Philippine Standard Time.