Charlotte Hornets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Combined Starting 5
The Dallas Mavericks welcome the Charlotte Hornets in their fourth game of the NBA 2020-21 Regular season. Both the teams have had a mixed start to the NBA campaign but are coming into this game off the back of their maiden victories.
The Dallas Mavericks blew away a Kawhi Leonard-less LA Clippers by a whopping 51 points. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets earned a hard-fought victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Dallas Mavericks are missing Kristaps Porzingis and Josh Richardson, while the Charlotte Hornets have a full-strength squad to choose from and will be taking inspiration from a good defensive effort against the Brooklyn Nets.
Charlotte Hornets vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction: Combined Starting 5
With the Dallas Mavericks missing both Porzingis and Richardson, the Charlotte Hornets will be coming into the game with renewed hope.
Both Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward have started the season well, and Devonte Graham will be looking to shrug off a poor outing against the Brooklyn Nets.
In this article, we look at the best combined 5 featuring players from both Charlotte Hornets and Dallas Mavericks. The list excludes the ones who are missing or are doubtful to start the NBA game.
Point Guard - Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Luka Doncic is one of the favorites to win the NBA MVP award this time around, and could walk into any team. The 21-year-old phenomenon looks to be improving every week and has already become one of the best scorers and passers in the league.
Coming off his first All-Star appearance, Luka Doncic averaged 28.8 points, 8.8 assists and 9.4 rebounds per game last year. The Slovenian will be looking to lead the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Championship this season.
This game could be decided by Luka Doncic, as he has the ability to single-handedly win it for the Dallas Mavericks.
Shooting Guard – Terry Rozier (Charlotte Hornets)
Terry Rozier began the regular season with a bang, scoring 42 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rozier is another playing coming into the 2020-21 NBA season off his best-ever season yet.
During the 2019-20 season, Rozier averaged a career-high 18 points, 1 steal and 4.1 assists per game. With the Charlotte Hornets coming up against a formidable Dallas Mavericks team, they will be hoping Terry Rozier can come up with another lethal offensive display.
Small Forward – Gordon Hayward (Charlotte Hornets)
Gordon Hayward has had his fair share of injuries over the past couple of years but is still one of the better all-round players in the NBA. Last year, he had a decent scoring season for the Boston Celtics and combined that with his career-best return of 6.7 rebounds per game.
Gordon Hayward has started the season strongly and looks set to continue his fine form against the Dallas Mavericks. He will be expected to take up the offensive load as the Charlotte Hornets will look to stifle Luka Doncic on the other end.
Power Forward – P.J. Washington (Charlotte Hornets)
There is little doubt that P.J. Washington is one of the best young acquisitions the Charlotte Hornets have made over the past few seasons. Washington is an impressive shooter and has the ability to defend multiple positions as well.
His passing game is expected to improve over the coming years and he finished the 2019-20 NBA regular season with 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. P.J. Washington will be looking to further improve on those numbers in this campaign.
Center – Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
Dwight Powell has been a very efficient player for the Dallas Mavericks, and has been asked to step up as a starter in the absence of Porzingis. In the 2019-20 NBA season, Dwight Powell registered career-high numbers of 1.5 assists, 5.7 rebounds, .9 steals and .6 blocks per game.
With Porzingis set to miss another couple of weeks, Dwight Powell will be expected to start and come up with a good supporting performance as Doncic is almost certain to dominate for the Dallas Mavericks.