The Dallas Mavericks look to open up their season facing the young but talented Atlanta Hawks. Behind two of the biggest stars in today’s game, PG Luka Dončić and G Trae Young, NBA fans everywhere should look forward to this matchup.
Last season, both teams made it to the NBA playoffs, but the Mavericks couldn’t make it past round one. After losing to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in game 7, Dallas has a huge chip on their shoulder. Atlanta certainly has a better team overall, but Luka Dončić is far better than any of the players on the Hawks. This game against Atlanta should settle the Luka/Trae debate that many fans discuss even today.
Atlanta lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals, who went on to win the entire tournament. If Trae Young hadn’t suffered from a bone bruise in game 3 of the ECF, many fans believe the Hawks would’ve gone on to face the Suns in the finals. With the help of John Collins and Clint Capela, the Hawks were only able to win 2 games out of the series. This year, they should also be looking to prove themselves after losing in such a devastatingly fashion.
Young and Dončić have met over 4 total times in their NBA careers. Dončić is 3-1 over Trae, all in games played in the regular season. The 2021 season should result in playoffs for both teams, but it will be interesting to see how this particular matchup of two of today’s best stars plays out.