Mark Daigneault Previews Dallas Mavericks Ahead of Second Round

The Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach praised his second round opponents on Sunday, citing a major challenge ahead of his team.

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watches / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have officially found out its second round opponents for the first time since 2016.

It'll cross paths with the No. 5-seeded Dallas Mavericks, led by the star guard pairing of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They got past the LA Clippers in six games the previous round, possessing loads of playoff experience and high-level offense.

It's a much different look for the Thunder than the New Orleans Pelicans were, who were without their No.1 scoring option in Zion Williamson for the entirety of the series. The Mavericks had a top 10 offense in the NBA throughout the regular season, and are near at full capacity heading into the series, outside of the absence of Maxi Kleber from an AC joint injury.

"Our guess for them is to stay big, but we're ready for everything." Oklahoma City head coach Mark Daigneault said on Kleber's absence. "It definitely changes their looks in the frontcourt."

Kleber has been an important piece in Dallas' lineup for several seasons now at the power forward position, and although he only averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season, his ability to defend opposing forwards and space the floor is still providing crucial minutes in the rotation. It'll be a significant loss against a team with great frontcourt talent, most notably in regards to Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Still, the Mavericks are equipped with a fairly deep roster that can cover Kleber well enough. P.J. Washington has flourished since joining them at the trade deadline, Tim Hardaway Jr. is still giving close to 15 points per game and Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II make for a great center rotation.

"Anybody advancing in the playoffs is a really good team," Daigneault said on Dallas. "We obviously have a lot of respect for them. They've been playing exceptionally ... Post trade deadline I thought that really changed their team ... Obviously a tall task for us."

The Thunder will not underestimate its opponents just because it's coming off a first round series sweep. The Mavericks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, making it a total of four playoff appearances in the Doncic era. They're more than prepared for another stab at making it to the WCF, or even a NBA Finals run.

This second round matchup could easily reach seven games if both teams continue to play they did in the first round, and Oklahoma City knows that. Doncic is one of the largest talents the league has seen in the last decade, an unideal matchup for any team.

"[He's] a great player," Luguentz Dort said on Doncic. "Good ability to create shots. Makes a lot of tough shots. The ball is gonna be in his hands a lot so my main thing is to make everything tough."

Doncic will be by far the most difficult matchup the Thunder has faced in the playoffs up to this point, but if any team can hold him to below his standards, it has one of the best shots. Dort is an elite on-ball defender on the perimeter that can make any guard have a difficult night, so most of the assignment can be expected to go to him. Even beyond him, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Cason Wallace can also give the 25-year-old troubles.

Oklahoma City's first true test of the playoffs will begin Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. CT , inside Paycom Center for Game 1.

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