Dallas Mavericks: Should the defense of Kristaps Porzingis be a worry?

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the LA Clippers 127-121 on Tuesday night to go up 2-0 in their first-round playoff series. It is far from over, but the underdog Mavs are in the driver’s seat. Winning the first two games on the road of a best-of-seven series has happened 32 times in NBA history, with 27 of the previous 31 taking the series, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

Superstar Luka Doncic has been unbelievable. He had a 31-point triple-double to lift the Mavericks to victory in Game 1. The 22-year-old followed it with a 39-point performance where he channeled Mavericks GOAT Dirk Nowitzki in Game 2. Doncic is leading the way and has the Mavs playing with tremendous confidence as the series shifts to Dallas

Kristaps Porzingis struggled in Game 1 but bounced back with 20 points, four rebounds, three steals, and two blocks on May 25. The Unicorn found his shot but struggled on the defensive end of the floor. Should Dallas be worried?

Should the Dallas Mavericks worry about the defensive struggles of Kristaps Porzingis?

KP missed the first nine games of the regular season after having offseason meniscus surgery. His slow start was to be expected. Porzingis did not have a training camp to ramp. His defense has dropped off significantly from last season. The Unicorn blocked fewer shots and was not an elite rim protector. There were flashes of the old KP, but he could not find it consistently.

The LA Clippers exploited Kristaps Porzingis in Game 2. Should his defense be a worry moving forward? Can the Dallas Mavericks fix the issues? Let us take a closer look.

Next: KP's interior defense