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

With just eight games remaining this season, the Dallas Mavericks are 45-29 on the year after a win against the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Dallas is showing the rest of the league that they are true contenders in the Western Conference, and their defense has turned into a huge strength for this team. P.J. Washington has been elite defensively, and fans should be excited for the playoffs in April.

While there is still plenty of basketball to be played, all signs are pointing to the Mavericks being in the playoffs this year, and at the least, the Play-In Tournament.

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

Dallas is showing they are built for the playoffs, but there's no such thing as an easy matchup in the postseason.

Every series will be a battle, no matter who the Mavs play, and it'll be interesting to see how they respond to the adversity of the playoffs. With how close the Western Conference is, the Mavs could play almost any team that is a top-11 seed right now (even though the Play-In Tournament is looking unlikely for Dallas).

Anything can happen over the next few weeks, and fans can't wait to see who Dallas plays. Here we rank all of the Dallas Mavericks' potential playoff opponents from piece of cake to nightmare.

10. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have gone on an insane winning streak recently as they won 11 games in a row and are just two games back from the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Many teams counted the Rockets out after Alperen Sengun went down with an injury, but they have rallied and strung together some wins.

Despite playing great basketball recently, the Rockets are the Dallas Mavericks' easiest possible playoff matchup. The only way that they would play in the first round is likely in the Play-In Tournament, and the Mavs shouldn't fear the Rockets.

Dallas is 2-1 against Houston this year, with their one loss coming in a game that both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving didn't play in.

The Rockets have good guard play with Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and Dillon Brooks, but Dallas easily has the edge over this young Rockets team. Houston is a completely different team with Sengun on the floor, but as things stand now, the Rockets could be without their best player in the playoffs (if they make it).

The Rockets would likely throw Brooks at Doncic to try to contain him, but Houston's lack of playoff experience and continuity could make things hard for them. Dallas dominated Houston on Sunday night, and if they happen to play the Mavs in the play-in, it wouldn't go well for them.

9. Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are one of the most puzzling teams in the NBA this season as they have an excellent roster led by one of the best point guards of all time. Injuries have not been kind to them, but it still seems like they should be better than the No. 10 seed.

Just like the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Mavericks would likely only play the Warriors in the Play-In Tournament, but this isn't a bad matchup for them. Dallas can use Derrick Jones Jr., Dante Exum, and Josh Green to chase Stephen Curry around and their depth at the five is outmatched by Dallas.

Although Trayce Jackson-Davis is having a great rookie year, a center duo of him and Kevon Looney would stand no match against Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. Dallas' play at center has helped them tremendously lately, and they may have a field day against Golden State's bigs.

Golden State has some great defenders in Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, and Draymond Green, but this doesn't seem like the same Warriors team we've seen in the past.

Klay Thomspon's age is catching up to him and they haven't been able to dominate like they once have. The Warriors could still be a scary matchup in the Play-In Tournament, but the Mavs' 2-0 record against them so far this season should give fans some confidence.

Dallas plays the Warriors twice over the next few weeks, and both of these games will be telling of how a potential playoff matchup would look.

8. Phoenix Suns

Ever since the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns rivalry has been the best rivalry in the NBA. From scuffles, to smack talk, to close games, the Mavs and Suns have seen it all.

Despite having three stars in Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant, Phoenix shouldn't scare Mavs fans as much as some of these other teams would, and their depth is not great. The Suns recently lost to the San Antonio Spurs, the bottom team in the Western Conference, and their identity is in question right now.

This isn't to say that the Suns would be an easy matchup, but the play of Dallas' role players far outweighs the play of Phoenix's role players. The Mavs have Derrick Jones Jr. and P.J. Washington to throw at two of Phoenix's star players, and the Mavs have the best player in this potential game in Luka Doncic.

Doncic's individual rivalry with Booker is one of the most fun player rivalries in the NBA, and seeing Dallas beat the Suns again in the playoffs is something everyone wants to see. Doncic always seems to take his game to the next level against the Suns, and he is an excellent player in the playoffs.

Phoenix's star power could come out in the playoffs, but the Mavs' play lately shouldn't be taken lightly.

7. Sacramento Kings

On Tuesday night, the Dallas Mavericks destroyed the Sacramento Kings on the road. After a back-and-forth first half, the Mavs put their foot on the gas and won by over 20 points.

Kyrie Irving took this game over in the second half, and Luka Doncic got the rest that he needed in the fourth quarter. Doncic was a game-time decision with Achilles soreness, and he was able to rest since the Mavs were blowing Sacramento out.

Dallas' defense down low on Domantas Sabonis was impressive, and this team may not be as good as people think they are.

Tuesday night's game against the Kings wasn't a good showing of who they actually are, but the Mavs match up with Sacramento much better than people think. Sacramento has one of the best bigs in the NBA in Sabonis, but the Mavs have several players that they can throw at him.

Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington did a great job of defending Sabonis, and Dallas also beat Sacramento on Friday.

With Malik Monk's injury and the Mavs' ability to slow down Sabonis, the Kings aren't an awful matchup. Dallas beating the Kings twice in a row shouldn't be overlooked, and the Mavs may just have their number.

It doesn't seem likely that the Mavs will match up with the Kings in the first round, but I don't think they pose much of a threat to Dallas regardless.

6. Los Angeles Lakers

The only way that the Dallas Mavericks would play the Los Angeles Lakers is likely in the Play-In Tournament, and the Mavs are playing like they will miss the play-in, but we can't rule out anything.

There can be crazy movement in the standings at the end of the season, and the Lakers would be a tough opponent for Dallas in a one-game series, especially since LeBron James would be on the other side of the floor. James recently spoke highly about the Mavericks and what makes them dangerous, but the Lakers are dark horse contenders as well.

James and Anthony Davis form one of the most dominant pairings in the NBA, and they have good complimentary pieces around them. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are two players Dallas would have to watch out for, and they have excellent wing depth off the bench.

The Lakers have Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince in their bench unit, and both players could be used to throw different defensive looks at Luka Doncic.

Kyrie Irving against James in the playoffs would be a game that everyone would want to see since they were teammates in Cleveland, and this would be the perfect time for Irving to shut down any doubters who think Irving needed James to win.

P.J. Washington, Maxi Kleber, and Derrick Jones Jr. would have their hands full in this series as they would try to throw different looks at James, but the Mavs would definitely have the edge if they play Los Angeles.

5. New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are the Dallas Mavericks' most likely matchup of any of the previously listed teams, and they may be a tougher matchup than many people think.

The Pelicans are 45-29 on the year with their most recent game being a loss to the Boston Celtics, and this would be a fun series between the two Southwest Division rivals. The Mavs would have their hands full with trying to stop Zion Williamson inside, but they have multiple different defenders who they could use to try to slow him down.

Both P.J. Washington and Maxi Kleber have done a good job while guarding bigger forwards this season, and having Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford as their backline of defense would help as well.

Defensively, the Pelicans have one of the best all-around defenders in the NBA in Herb Jones. They would undoubtedly use him to try to stop Luka Doncic, but outside of Jones, they don't have many other elite stoppers.

It also works in the Mavs' favor that Brandon Ingram is missing some time with an injury, and they would be able to fully focus on stopping CJ McCollum and Williamson. Forcing New Orleans' role players to beat the Mavs may be the perfect game plan.

Jonas Valanciunas can be hard to stop in the post sometimes, but Dallas has the personnel to make things hard on him.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Dallas Mavericks' most recent loss came against the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road, and the Mavs were without Luka Doncic in this game. Kyrie Irving did his best to help lead the Mavs to a tough victory, but it was clear the Mavs were missing Doncic.

If Doncic played in this game, the result would have likely been different, and the Mavs match up surprisingly well with Oklahoma City. The Thunder are a relatively small team outside of Chet Holmgren, and Daniel Gafford dominated in his last game against the Thunder.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains one of the top players in the NBA, he and Jalen Williams are the only two perimeter players that the Mavs would need to worry about. Josh Giddey has also played extremely well lately, but I don't see him carrying this momentum all the way into the playoffs.

OKC would likely use Lu Dort to try to slow down Doncic, but they would have no answer for Irving. This was clear in their last game, and any team trying to stop both Doncic and Irving is a hard task.

Not to mention, the Thunder have minimal playoff experience and the team is super young. This doesn't mean that they can't make some noise and surprise some people, but it doesn't look like the Thunder are the most likely team that could take down Doncic, Irving, and the Mavs.

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.

2. LA Clippers

Despite being the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, the LA Clippers are a team that would be a much tougher matchup to the Dallas Mavericks than most people think. The Mavs lost to the Clippers in the 2020 and 2021 NBA Playoffs, and Mavs fans shouldn't want to see them again over other teams in the Western Conference.

The Mavs have a great shot of taking down any team that they play in the playoffs, but the Clippers would be an extremely tough draw. LA has a star duo of their own in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and both of them are excellent defenders.

They could use Leonard to pick up Luka Doncic full court every single possession, and George could also be used to guard him. Neither player would be able to fully shut down Doncic, as he was dominant in both of the previous playoff series against the Clippers, but they might be the best one-two option to try to slow him down.

The Mavericks would have an advantage inside as Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are capable of containing Ivica Zubac, but defending on the perimeter would be a tougher task. Having to have George, Leonard, and James Harden all accounted for is not an easy task, and Norman Powell has been great off the bench.

Doncic and company would love another crack at the Clippers, but it would be nowhere near a cakewalk series, regardless of the Clippers' recent struggles.

1. Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets were ruled the Dallas Mavericks' "nightmare matchup" heading into the 2024 NBA Playoffs, and they are definitely the team that has the best chance of sending the Mavs home early.

While the Mavs got the last laugh the last time these two teams played after Kyrie Irving's game-winner, the Nuggets are clearly the best team in the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic is a top-two player in the NBA along with Luka Doncic, and his ability to control the game is outstanding. Jamal Murray is also an elite duo partner, and he brings the best out of Jokic.

Jokic's offensive impact is astronomical, and Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford would have their hands full. Lively II did a great job while guarding Jokic the last time they played, but things could be much different in a seven-game series.

The Nuggets also have elite role players like Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell Pope, but their depth isn't as great as it once was. Denver's bench is weak, and this is one area where the Mavs have a big advantage.

Having Lively II, Dante Exum, Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, and Maxi Kleber as players off the bench in the playoffs will be a big help, and the Mavs' depth shouldn't go unnoticed. Exum, Hardaway Jr., and Lively II can all make big plays that could change the tide of the game routinely, and this series may come down to the battle of the benches.

Dallas' next game is on Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors.

For all the latest on Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks, stay tuned.