Luka Doncic expects to have a hard time when the Dallas Mavericks play the Phoenix Suns in the second round of the playoffs. After all, he predicts defensive guru Mikal Bridges to guard him for the most part.

The Slovenian guard has nothing but high praises for the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, and he understands the threat he brings to him with what he can do on the defensive end of the floor.

“His defense is amazing. He really impresses me … He has long [arms], but I think he’s really smart on the defensive end,” the Mavs star said of Bridges, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

True enough, Mikal Bridges figures to be the biggest thorn on the side of Luka Doncic in the series. He anchors the Suns' defense–often tasked to guard the opponents' best players–and it is safe to assume he is going to do his best to shut down the Mavs' All-Star guard.

However, beyond Bridges, Luka and co. have more to be wary of when they face the West's top seed. The Mavs are considered the underdogs in the series, and personnel-wise, Phoenix has the advantage with a deeper roster and an experienced leader in Chris Paul. This is also a Suns team that went to the Finals last year, so they are more than familiar on how to handle the pressure and intensity of the playoffs.

Dallas also lost all three of its meetings with Phoenix in the 2021-22 season, though two of those were without Luka Doncic. They haven't traded Kristaps Porzingis at that point as well.

The Mavs will be hoping for a better performance against the Suns this time around, but in order to do so, the likes of Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie have to step up.