Trying to pick out the toughest challenge the Mavericks will face against Phoenix is like trying to pick between barbecue or Tex-Mex.
There’s no wrong answer.
But if you go on the premise that Luka Dončić and Chris Paul (and maybe Jalen Brunson and Devin Booker) can come close to canceling each other out in most meetings, it might come down to Suns’ center Deandre Ayton.
This is a different breed of center than what the Mavericks saw in the first round against Utah’s Rudy Gobert and Hassan Whiteside, both of whom are modest offensive threats.
Ayton is a legitimate star-level center. Maybe not as gifted defensively as Gobert. But vastly more dangerous on the offensive end.
“We have to adapt,” coach Jason Kidd said Sunday before the team left for Phoenix. “Our game plan against Utah is not going to work against the Suns. We’ve already changed that mindset.
“They can hurt you with the three in transition and they can hurt you in the paint with JaVale (McGee) and Ayton. This isn’t Gobert and Whiteside. These guys can put the ball in the basket.”
The Mavericks are going to have to combat Ayton and his backup, former Mav JaVale Mcgee, with Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith. All three are capable of guarding centers. But Phoenix has one of the best point guards in the NBA in Paul.
That opens up so much more for players like Ayton, whose game is well rounded and who averaged 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in the first round against New Orleans while shooting over 60 percent in all six games. He was 10-of-12 from the field in the Game 6 clincher.
“Ayton doesn’t get enough credit,” Kidd said. “He’s talented offensively and he’s talented defensively. But offensively he can put the ball in the basket, he understands his role and he plays his role at a very high level. We got to try to keep him off the boards just like we did with Gobert.”
Dealing with the 6-11 Ayton will be a problem. But then, what about Phoenix isn’t a problem. They had a 64-18 record in the regular season for a reason.
Here’s a look at a few more keys for the Mavericks if they hope to make it out of this best-of-seven series:
STEAL ONE EARLY: The Mavericks no longer can fall back on the home-court advantage. They will have to win at least once in Phoenix if they hope to advance. And more likely, they’ll have to win twice in the Valley of the Sun. That’s the way it went for Utah, who mustered one win at American Airlines Center, but couldn’t get two. The Mavericks won twice at the Jazz’s place. That experience should come in handy because they’ll probably have to do it again.
STAY DIALED IN: The Mavericks have been an iffy shooting team all season, but they found their range in Game 6 against the Jazz. They made 8-of-12 three-pointers in the third quarter, when they regained control of the game. They are going to need a couple games in this series where their shooting carries them. If that happens, then they’ll give the Suns something to think about with their defensive strategies.
EXECUTE, EXECUTE, EXECUTE: Much will be made of the crunch time heroics that Paul always seems to generate. And rightfully so. He’s a wizard when the game is hanging in the balance. But the Mavericks led all three of the regular-season meetings going into the fourth quarter this season. They simply couldn’t close the deal. They’re a different team now, though. And they were as clutch as any team in the league after New Year’s Day – except for the Suns.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ADJUST: The Mavericks made one major adjustment in the first round series – they got Luka back for Games 4, 5 and 6. It will be different against the Suns. But Kidd hit on a great point on Sunday. “We talked about the importance of three things both offensively and defensively. And we’ll go from there,” he said. “Game 1 is tomorrow (Monday). It’s not Game 7. So we’ll do our best and execute the game plan on the road. And in-game adjustments are going to be needed. Chris has seen it all, so we got to change our pitches and just hope we can keep him off-balance.”
EXPECT MORE, AND GET IT: The Mavericks beat the Jazz in the first round without a major contribution from Spencer Dinwiddie until Game 6. That’s both the good and the bad news. The Mavericks need consistent production from their sixth man. But they also know he’s due to bust out in a big way. Even though the Suns have their Cams (Johnson and Payne) coming off the bench, Dinwiddie should be the best reserve player in this series.
LEAN ON YOUR STARS: As mentioned at the start of this post, Luka and Brunson must get at least a push in the long haul against Paul and Booker. That would set up the possibility that Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith or Reggie Bullock could play the hero’s role in a game or two. That might be enough for the Mavericks to spring the upset.
Twitter: @ESefko
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