Jazz vs. Mavericks

Late on Christmas night, the Dallas Mavericks will travel to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz. It should be a great matchup featuring Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Luka Doncic, and Kristaps Porzingis, all of whom have been named All-Stars at some point in their career. Sit back, relax, and drink some hot cocoa while you watch some of the best players in the league battle it out on the court, closing off one of the most magical days of the year.  

The Utah Jazz is led by rising superstar Mitchell. The shooting guard out of Louisville has continued his stellar play this year, averaging 24.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, and 1.7 SPG. He has a similar style of play to that of Dwayne Wade in his prime. Mitchell is a must-see player, as he can pull off a highlight-reel play at any moment. If this game gets close down the stretch as we expect it to, look for the ball to be in Mitchell’s hands. Alongside him, the Jazz will keep both their offense and defense at a high level with the help of center Gobert. This year, Gobert has averaged 14.9 PPG, 14.7 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. He is a presence in the paint with his rebounding skills and interior defense and should be a tough matchup for any of the Mavericks’ centers, whether it’s Porzingis, Willie Cauley-Stein, or Dwight Powell. Overall, the Jazz is one of the best teams in the league: they currently sit near the top of the Western Conference with a solid record of 21-9. Their depth, including players like Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, Mike Conely, Hassan Whiteside, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Royce O’Neale, allows them to get production on the court at all times. There is no doubt that Mitchell and Gobert are the stars of the team, but don’t be surprised if it’s one of these role players who lead the team to a victory on Christmas night.

On the other side of the court, the Dallas Mavericks are led by Doncic. Since coming into the league, Doncic has been nothing short of amazing. He is debatably a top-five player in the NBA right now and his playmaking makes him fun to watch–he never fails to fill up the stat sheet or hit a big shot in crunch time. Thus far in the season, Doncic has continued his greatness with 25.5 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 8.5 APG. He has the highest usage in the league of any player, meaning the ball is always in his hands. If the Mavericks want to win this game, “Luka Magic” will need to show out on Christmas in a big way. Like the Jazz and Gobert, the Mavericks also have a big man as a good second fiddle to the star of the team: Porzingis. The center, dubbed “The Unicorn” for his interesting skill set compared to his height, is a very unique player. He is seven feet tall, yet he can extend his range behind the arc and hit three-pointers at will. Since Rudy Gobert is more of a post defender, it could be hard for him to defend the three against Porzingis. This might be one of the most interesting matchups of the night and will definitely play a big part in the breakdown of this game. Other than Doncic and Porzingis, the Mavericks will need the assistance of outside shooting from the rest of the team, such as Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith, who are looked at to keep up with the fast pace that the Jazz like to play at.

My Wish: 

An entertaining game that goes to the final seconds would be an awesome Christmas gift, as Doncic and Mitchell will both be involved heavily in an all-time Christmas classic to cap off the day. For two rising stars in the league, a performance like that would truly be something to remember to contribute to that holiday magic. 

UPDATE: The following players are in health and safety protocols: Luka Doncic (Mavericks). His status for the game has yet to be determined.