We Break Down the Nuggets Roster Ahead of the Mavericks' NBA Cup Game

The last time Dallas faced Denver, they lost a heartbreaking 122-120 despite a monster 43-point performance. Kyrie Irving. They may need a similar outing tonight due to the Mavericks’ loss Luka Doncic The first is for the second game against the Nuggets on November 10th. On the other hand, Denver is likely missing its superstar center. Nikola JokicThe player who could not play in the last three matches due to undisclosed personal reasons. Another road test for the Mavericks will be their second trip to Colorado this season, and tonight’s repeat of that series will be part of the NBA Cup’s Group C games.

Both teams sit roughly in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference, with Denver holding a two-game lead over Dallas with an 8-5 record and the Mavs with an 8-7 record. Each has dealt with injury issues throughout the season. Michael Porter Jr. And Christian Braun They are the only two starters playing every game for the Nuggets in 2024.

quarterback Jamal MurrayPorter Jr., who missed three games this year, has 18.3 points per game. He ranks second in sacks, but his efficiency has been below average this season at 41% from the field and 33% from deep. He also averages 4.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists and is the driving force behind Denver’s offense when Jokic is not on the court.

Christian Braun has done an admirable job filling the void left by Kentavation Caldwell-Pope, who left this summer to join the Orlando Magic, on both sides of the ball. Braun, a Most Improved Player candidate at this point in the year, is averaging 16.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game; That’s almost nine more points per game than in 2023-24. He is also a solid perimeter defender who harasses the ball handler and forces them to take tough shots.

Small forward Michael Porter Jr. has been a consistent force for Denver this season; He ranked second on the team in points per game, had a record 6.9 rebounds, and again performed well for second place. Porter Jr., a spot-up threat who relies primarily on movement shots, undoubtedly plays better when he finds Jokic on the perimeter for open threes; He was 0-for-8 in his last two games without the Serbian big man. on three-point attempts. Still, he’s shooting 43.7% from deep this year and will be the main focus of the Dallas defense tonight.

in your absence AaronGordonforward power Peyton Watson In the last meeting between the two teams, he played a perfect game against the Mavericks and took a place in the starting five. He scored 16 points on 6-of-9 and 4-of-4 shooting while providing excellent defense; His ability to pressure opposing big men is his calling card and one of the main reasons why he is currently a rotational player in the league. This performance against Dallas was a little different from his typical performance as he was scoring 9.3 points per game this season.

Assuming Jokic doesn’t play tonight, various players will fill his role: DeAndre Jordanas well as shuffling the squad to accommodate the missing center position. This might mean Julian Strawther He starts at the shooting guard spot or the wing spot, with Watson playing the five and Porter Jr. plays the quartet; It may also mean Dario Saric He gets a lot of minutes in Denver’s win over the Grizzlies on Nov. 19, as he did against Memphis. Russell Westbrook He will also have plenty of opportunities to play reserve ball-handling minutes as he has so far this season, averaging around 25 minutes per game.

If Jokic is still out, Dallas has an excellent opportunity to improve to 2-1 in the NBA Cup Play even if Doncic is not on the court. By beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in this exact scenario on Sunday night, they proved they can still win games without the Slovenian superstar. The Mavericks, who lost their first Cup game to the Golden State Warriors and then rebounded against a badly injured Pelicans team, need a win here to improve their standing in the Western Conference.

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