Dallas Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki admits Luka Doncic and Co. will have their hands full against the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs, but he thinks the Mavs have a good chance.

However, for the Mavs to pull off an epic upset against one of the title favorites this season, two things must go their way: Luka's consistency and health.

“The Clippers are a great team and they’re well-coached and they’re deep so the Mavs are going to have their hands full. Obviously, the Clippers are going to be heavy favorites but if the Mavs stay healthy and Luka has a great series, I think they can make it very interesting,” Nowitzki said on The Bill Simmons Podcast, via Dallas Morning News.

Sure enough, Luka Doncic will be the biggest factor for Dallas in the postseason. He is their best player anyway, and the team will need him to carry the offense more often than not.

Aside from Luka, though, the biggest deciding factor for Dallas is the health of Kristaps Porzingis. KP is unarguably the second-best player on the squad despite his struggles with injuries this campaign, and with him on the floor, they become a more dynamic team–opening up a lot of options for Rick Carlisle on offense.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Chris Paul in a Clippers uniform with question marks everywhere.

Joey Mistretta ·

Kawhi Leonard, Tyronn Lue, Luka Doncic, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks

Tomer Azarly ·

[NBA awards] Nikola Jokic next to Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Brett Siegel ·

Moreover, a lot of people believe that the Mavs could have taken down the Clippers in the 2020 playoffs had Porzingis not suffered a meniscus tear in Game 3 of the series.

The Mavs come in as slight underdogs against the Clippers, but as Dirk Nowitzki said it, they have a good fighting chance.