The Dallas Mavericks have had to get by in the first round of the NBA playoffs without Luka Doncic. Fortunately, the rest of the Mavs came to play and have given the Utah Jazz a strong fight. Jalen Brunson has led the way.

After being mostly a sixth man last year, Brunson has become a starter and enjoyed his most productive season yet. In the playoffs so far, he is averaging 32.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He led the team in scoring in both games and went crazy in Game 2, scoring 41 points.

How good has Brunson been for the Mavs in the 2022 NBA playoffs so far? This good: he has scored more total points than LeBron James and Michael Jordan did in their first two playoff starts.

Brunson did get some playoff experience before making his first playoff start. However, being in the company of players this legendary is still an amazing feat for the 25-year-old. In Doncic's absence, the former national champion at Villanova is showing he can be a high-level contributor in the NBA playoffs.

Doncic is now questionable for Game 3 tonight after missing the first two contests with a calf strain. The Jazz look to be in serious trouble if Doncic can bounce back effectively and Brunson continues to torch them. Because of their weak perimeter defense, that doesn't seem very likely.

The Mavs have a strong three-headed monster of Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie to lead them in the playoffs. Their ability to light it up on both sides of the ball could make them a tough team to beat.