Mavs vs. Thunder: 3 Big Things to Watch - 'I'm Ready,' Says Jaden Hardy

The Dallas Mavericks look to kick off their five-game road trip on the right foot in Oklahoma City. What are some of the biggest key things to watch? DallasBasketball.com has you covered.

The Dallas Mavericks (23-17) hit the road on Sunday to take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder (17-22).

Sunday marks the start of Dallas' five-game road trip that hits the West Coast on Tuesday. 

Dallas is fresh off a 127-117 victory over the undermanned New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday at home following their blow out loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Luka Doncic notched his league-leading 10th triple-double this season in the win, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists while Christian Wood scored 28 points and grabbed six rebounds of his own.

The Thunder are coming off a win over former Mav Kristaps Porzingis and the Washington Wizards on Friday, led by Gilgeous-Alexander's 30-point performance.

Here are the three big things to watch in tonight's matchup. 

Will Doncic Play?

Following Saturday night's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Doncic was asked about his availability for Sunday's matchup in Oklahoma City with the Thunder. 

"We'll see. I've been playing with a sore ankle," Doncic said.

Mavs coach Jason Kidd said the same on Doncic's chances of playing in the second-night of the back-to-back. "We'll see how he feels."

With that said, it's looking like No. 77 will miss his fourth game of the season against OKC on Sunday in a much-deserved rest.

But without Doncic, who steps up?

Hardy Time?

Piggybacking off the first point, if Doncic is indeed out, who carries the load for Dallas? Spencer Dinwiddie and Christian Wood are the easiest answers, but what about 20-year-old rookie Jaden Hardy?

Granted, the rook hasn't played much so far this season, but when he has, he's shown some pop – or some "boogie" as Dinwiddie likes to put it. In the Mavs' last two games, Hardy has scored a total of 30 points while shooting a combined 12-of-17 from the floor in 36 minutes.

Herb Jones is one of the best defenders in the game. Jaden Hardy good. #FreeJHardy pic.twitter.com/nHzHA8WBZz

— Dalton Trigg (@dalton_trigg) January 8, 2023

“I feel like I’m ready," said Hardy when asked about potentially getting more playing time. "I feel like I can help the team in a lot of ways. Defensively, I feel like I can help the team too. Me being able to shoot the ball and be on the play-make, and play off of Luka Doncic.”

Coach Jason Kidd has made it tough for Hardy to earn playing time so far this season as his lack of experience and still-developing defense has hindered him from hitting the floor more often – but when he has played, he's proven that he's capable of scoring at will.

"[Hardy] was great," said Kidd. "You look at the carryover from the Celtics game, what he did tonight was really, really good. We've just got to keep stacking that positivity and keep him on the floor, give him more minutes hopefully tomorrow."

With the Facu Campazzo and Kemba Walker experiments both having come and gone, why not put more trust in the young bull? There's nothing to lose in a game like this, especially if Doncic is on the shelf.

Defending SGA…Or Not

The fifth-year Thunder guard is having himself an All-Star season. Through 35 games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

In two games vs. Dallas this season, SGA is averaging 40 points per game, with 42 and 38-point performances as the team's have split the first two matchups. 

For Dallas, that's an issue, especially with the likes of Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Green out of the lineup for tonight's contest. 

Look for Kidd to throw what's left in the kitchen sink at Gilgeous-Alexander, including Reggie Bullock, Frank Ntilikina, and maybe even McKinley Wright IV.

Point blank, it could be a long night for Maverick defenders if SGA finds his groove at home on Sunday. He'll be the best player on the floor if Doncic does sit out as expected.

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