Ranking the Mavericks' potential playoff opponents from piece of cake to nightmare

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves may be a bit higher on this list if Karl-Anthony Towns were healthy, but the uncertainty with Towns' injury puts the Timberwolves at the No. 3 spot on this list.

The Timberwolves have three elite bigs in Rudy Gobert, Towns, and Naz Reid, and each of these bigs could be tough assignments for the Mavs. Towns is their do-it-all big who can get it done on both ends while also having the potential to erupt for 40+ points on any given night.

Gobert is their rim protector and rebounder who the Mavs know very well, and Reid is their floor stretcher who can also lock down on the defensive end when needed. This potential series would be a battle in the trenches, but Dallas has the pieces to make this series competitive right now with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

While the Timberwolves would make things hard for the Mavs in the paint, Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are the ones who will make a big difference in every game that they play.

I could see a series against the Timberwolves be a time that Irving would take over, and fans should be excited to see him suit up next to Doncic in the playoffs. Irving is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now, and he and Doncic will make things hard on any defense they face.