Luka Doncic ranks Mavs teammate among top 3 perimeter defenders in NBA ahead of Mavericks vs Thunder
The Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic are preparing to take on the OKC Thunder in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Ahead of the start of the series, Luka Doncic draws confidence from the fact that his team has one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Of course, as he also pointed out, so do the OKC Thunder.
The Thunder have Luguentz Dort, who has shown time and time again that he can lock up even the most talented of offensive players. In the case of the Dallas Mavericks, the team has longtime NBA vet and 2020 Slam Dunk champion Derrick Jones Jr.
After spending two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Derrick Jones Jr. declined his player option last offseason and hit free agency. He signed a one-year deal with the Mavs worth $2.7 million, which also came with an increase in minutes.
Now, as Derrick Jones and the Mavs look to continue their run in the postseason, Luka Doncic is singing the forward's praises. Ahead of Game 1 of the OKC Thunder vs Dallas Mavericks series, ESPN's Tim MacMahon shared some thoughts from Donic about the NBA's best perimeter defenders.
Apart from Lu Dort and DJJ, MacMahon indicated that Doncic also believes that Jrue Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
How being undrafted has fueled Derrick Jones Jr. ahead of he and Luka Doncic's second-round series against the OKC Thunder
While Derrick Jones Jr. is considered a veteran by league standards, considering he has been playing since the 2016-17 season, he has bounced around teams several times. After starting his career in Phoenix, he joined the Miami Heat as a sophomore for two and a half seasons.
After spending the 2020-21 season in Portland, he joined the Chicago Bulls for two years leading up to his recent stop in Dallas. Given that he's now playing valuable minutes alongside Luka Doncic for the Mavericks in a high-stakes playoff situation, many consider it surprising that he has never spent more than two years with a team.
The way he sees things, though, being an undrafted player has helped fuel his competitive spirit as he indicated following Game 5 of the Mavericks-Clippers series:
"I was undrafted, I went into situations where I wasn't supposed to be on the roster or playing. I fought my way into a roster spot, and I fought my way into the rotation. I'ma keep fighting until the day I die, that's just who I am. I always fight, and I never give up."
After beating the Clippers, Derrick Jones Jr., Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will have to compete against the OKC Thunder, a young team that finished first in the West. Ahead of the game, the NBA community seems widely split down the middle regarding how they see things playing out.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the OKC Thunder sit as -162 favorites to win with the Mavericks as +136 underdogs close behind.