Dallas Basketball

Previewing Trail Blazers Lineup Ahead of Mavericks Pre-Christmas Matchup

The Blazers are struggling this season at just 9-19.

Keenan Womack

Dec 1, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) defends Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) defends Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) in the first half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images / Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
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Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks will take on a Portland Trail Blazers team that currently sits in 13th place in the Western Conference with a 9-19 record on the season. Portland has lost six straight to Dallas dating back to last season, where the Mavericks swept the four-game slate, and won on December 1 in a 137-131 game on the West Coast. The Blazers have also fallen in seven of their last eight games overall, including a 42-point loss to the Utah Jazz and two other 20+ point defeats.

Guards Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe will hold down the backcourt for Portland after the second-overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Scoot Henderson, was relegated to a bench role for his struggles so far. Simons has been hit-or-miss as the lead initiator for the Blazers so far, scoring at a decent clip with 17.7 points per game, but doing so inefficiently at just 41.2% from the field. Sharpe, taken seventh overall in 2022, has battled injuries throughout his career but is healthy after missing some early games in 2024. He is also averaging 17.7 points, doing so on 44.8% from the field but a brutal 28% from deep.

READ MORE: Luka Doncic Not Worried About Missing Games, Focused on Something Bigger

Toumani Camara and Jerami Grant will play the forward spots, with Camara on the wing and Grant playing more of the four. Camara, a defensive-minded perimeter player, is averaging just 9.0 points per game this year but scored 17 against Dallas when the teams met three weeks ago. Despite his lack of offensive production, he is one of the more consistent three-point shooters on the team at 36.4% on 4.2 attempts per game. Grant is a scoring-minded forward who has struggled with efficiency this season, connecting on just 38.2% of his 13.4 field-goal attempts per contest in 2024.

At center is DeAndre Ayton, a 7-footer who was the first-overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and found his way to Portland via free agency prior to the 2023-24 season. The top rebounder on the team, Ayton is averaging 10.5 boards per game and scoring 14.1 points on 55.5% from the field. Though he has been criticized for effort, he has seemingly turned a corner, averaging 13.3 rebounds over his last three contests.

READ MORE: Mavericks Exploring Options To Improve One Position In Trade Market

Off the bench will be Deni Avdija, the aforementioned Scoot Henderson, and rookie Donovan Clingan. Reserve guard Dalano Blanton is likely out for this game with a hip injury, and center Robert Williams III is questionable with a sprained ankle. Rayan Rupert and Kris Murray may also play in the game.

Overall, Portland is a team that Dallas should beat, even without Luka Doncic playing. The production they've gotten from role players as well as Kyrie Irving should be enough to lift them past a team that is 10 games under .500. With the poor shooting from distance and turnover-prone guards that Portland has, the Mavericks should be able to force bad shots and come away with a relatively easy victory, even if their last contest was high scoring.

READ MORE: Mavericks vs. Trail Blazers: How to Watch, TV, Time, Odds, & Preview

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Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

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