Brooklyn Nets vs Dallas Mavericks 12/7/21: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks Matchup Preview (12/7/21)

The Brooklyn Nets will head for bluer skies than their own, and certainly warmer weather, to battle with the banged-up Dallas Mavericks. Dallas has two of its best players listed as day-to-day at the moment, which will be the determining factor in whether this game is competitive or not. If the Mavericks have to deploy a lineup featuring Jalen Brunson, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Reggie Bullock against the Brooklyn Nets, one of the best teams in the NBA, then this should be a double-digit game without much effort. It will all come down to whether or not Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic are healthy enough to return to the starting lineup. Doncic has missed some time due to an ankle injury, while Porzingis is fighting off a sore knee.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks Betting Odds

This game is too hard to predict at the moment without knowing the exact status of Porzingis and Doncic. Still, we can evaluate a few different circumstances, allowing you to factor in several different scenarios. If the Mavs opt to sit Porzingis and Doncic, this will probably not be a close game, even though they are at home. The single situation where they would keep it competitive is if Brunson went for 30+ points and Hardaway also had a big game. This is the only plausible way that the Mavs could keep up offensively with the Nets, who rank fifth in eFG% and seventh in 3P%.

Assuming that both players suit up, I still like Brooklyn against the spread. Both teams have been terrible ATS this season, but the Nets just matchup better. They rank first in opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage) and opponent 3P% (three-point percentage), while the Mavericks rank in the bottom ten in those categories on offense. It is just not an ideal matchup for a team that has their two best players fighting off nagging injuries.

TV Schedule

Date: 12/7/21
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
Channel: TNT

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Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Patty Mills
SG: James Harden
SF: DeAndre’ Bembry
PF: Kevin Durant
C: LaMarcus Aldridge

Brooklyn Nets Analysis

Brooklyn has worked its way into being considered one of the top three defenses in the league, along with the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors. The Nets rank first in opponent eFG% and opponent 3P%, which is a perfect example of their ability to contest shots. Shockingly, that has not turned into as solid of a record as the Warriors or Suns. There is plenty of reason to believe that the Nets can continue to improve, especially with Kevin Durant playing like an MVP and LaMarcus Aldridge having an incredible comeback year after retiring. If James Harden can get back on track consistently, then Brooklyn has a chance at securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference and finding itself in the NBA Finals.

Dallas Mavericks Starting Lineup

PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr.
SF: Dorian Finney-Smith
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Dwight Powell

Dallas Mavericks Analysis

Dallas has dropped four of its past five games and can’t seem to gain any real momentum. The Mavericks’ issues are significant: they can’t shoot the ball well or defend efficiently. They rank in the bottom-five in opponent eFG% (efficient field goal percentage), opponent 3P% (three-point percentage), total rebounding, and blocks per game. Kristaps Porzingis has stepped up recently as Doncic’s sidekick, resembling the “pre-injury Porzingis” at times; however, Dallas’s success will rely on much more than just one or two players. Everyone has to be better, including Doncic, because if they are not, then they could be in real jeopardy of missing the post-season.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Dallas Mavericks Daily Fantasy Picks

This DFS play should be fairly straightforward, especially since he was recently deployed in the Nets’ starting lineup instead of Blake Griffin, who had been struggling this year. LaMarcus Aldridge’s averages don’t look incredibly impressive, but what is impressive is his averages over the past eight games in which he has drawn starts in five of them. Aldridge has averaged 17 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game on an incredibly efficient 55.9% from the field and 91.7% from the free-throw line. During that span, Aldridge has been getting over 30 minutes per game, which many people thought surely was not feasible for the veteran big man. I think everyone has been gladly proved wrong by Aldridge so far this season as he was retired not that long ago. You should also note that Aldridge’s DFS value is greater than his current salary, and you will need to capitalize on that in the next few games: it won’t be that way forever.

It is pretty amazing how many people gave up on Kristaps Porzingis after a few injuries and underwhelming seasons. Porzingis is a 7-foot-3 forward that can shoot at a high clip and put the ball on the deck. Not to mention, he is a solid athlete for his size too! I also never really understood New York’s complete disdain for the man it was rooting so hard for; management did not take care of him when they needed to. Regardless, Porzingis has looked terrific since he came back from that early injury that temporarily derailed the start of his season. He has averaged 21.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game during that span, with his last three games being quite underwhelming relative to the rest of them. Porzingis has been efficient overall but needs to hit more frequently from deep as 30% will not be sufficient long-term. He should be able to bounce back against this Nets team with a very different-looking starting lineup that is a little bit more geared towards small-ball.