Mavs Step Back: Dallas' Dereck Lively II in For Big Night vs. Depleted Portland Trail Blazers' Frontcourt?
Following a resounding 50-point beatdown of the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, the Dallas Mavericks look to tip off the weekend with a win against another injury-plagued team in the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Dallas will be without Grant Williams, Josh Green and Maxi Kleber, but the Blazers will be without Jerami Grant (OUT - concussion), Deandre Ayton (DOUBTFUL - knee) and possibly Malcolm Brogdon as well. Without Grant and Ayton, Mavs star rookie Dereck Lively II could be in for a Friday night feast in the paint.
USA TODAY Sports
On today's episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, we make several betting picks for tonight's game, including Luka Doncic's over/under on points, Lively's over/under on points and rebounds, and Kyrie Irving's over/under on turnovers.
Doncic is coming off his second consecutive history-making triple-double after putting up 40 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against the Jazz. He became the first player in NBA history to have at least 25 points with a triple-double in one half. Can Doncic keep his triple-double magic going? Between his newfound dad strength and headband-wearing powers, you might want to consider putting Mavs-Blazers on your NBA League Pass list tonight.
From there, we discuss four Mavs trade ideas: three addressing Dallas' need for more size on the perimeter and one addressing the backup center position. Spoiler alert – Toronto Raptors 3-and-D forward O.G. Anunoby is pegged as being a "dream target" for the Mavs with two months remaining until the NBA trade deadline.
You can watch or listen to this episode below. Also, be sure to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else you get your podcasts! You can also leave us a review on Apple Podcasts for a chance to win future giveaways.
