Kristaps Porzingis Ready For Mavs In First Meeting Since Trade

Washington Wizards forward Kristaps Porzingis has experience playing former teams.

When the Dallas Mavericks face the Washington Wizards on Friday, it will be the first time that Kristaps Porzingis, Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans will play against their former teams. It'll be merely a side story for the Mavs, though, as they remain focused on being the third seed in the Western Conference. 

Porzingis has played a former team before. The first time he played against the New York Knicks after being traded to Dallas, Porzingis and the Mavs lost 106-102 . He finished with 28 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. 

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Porzingis expects his first game against the Mavericks with the Wizards to be a good one, but he also does not expect to be as wild as his return to Madison Square Garden. 

"I think it's going to be a good game. It's not going to be like my first game with Dallas in New York,” said Porzingis. “That one was just crazy. This one is going to be a bit more just me competing against my old team. We'll see.”

With Rick Carlisle no longer being the coach of the Mavericks, there's a fair amount of drama being taken out of this one. However, the management that decided it was time to trade Porzingis will always be natural motivation for him.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The expectations were high for Porzingis in Dallas, and they unfortunately did not get met. He was often out due to injuries and wasn’t a game-changing talent in the playoffs. 

Although Porzingis might be motivated, Dinwiddie is the player who has the most reason for animosity toward his former team. There were reports before he was traded about how he was not liked in the Wizards' locker room, and his teammates viewed him as a "shell of himself." 

Both Dinwiddie and Porzingis have played well since being traded. They each have the opportunity to show what their former employer is missing as they continue to be key pieces for their new teams.