Dallas Mavericks need to avoid several teams when the playoffs start

The Dallas Mavericks are the eighth seed in the Western Conference right now with a 38-29 record. That means that if the playoffs started today, Luka Doncic and his team would be battling through the Play-In Tournament.

That would be hard enough but if the Mavericks make it out of the Play-In, they would be wise to avoid several teams that pose serious threats to their chances of postseason greatness.

This one goes without saying. All teams want to avoid the Nuggets but the Mavericks more than most others.

The Mavericks have lost both games against the Nuggets this year and made it clear that they don't have any answer for Nikola Jokic and his crew. The combination of Jamal Murray and Jokic is a duo that the Mavericks just cannot contain.

The Oklahoma City Thunder is another team that Dallas doesn't want to run into in the playoffs. In many ways, the Thunder play like the Mavericks, only younger, faster, and more successful.

The biggest problem with the Thunder is that they are such a strong shooting team and they can move through Dallas' defense with ease.

The Los Angeles Clippers is another matchup the Mavericks wish to avoid in the postseason. Because of the team's shooting abilities and size, they are able to work over the Mavericks. Every time Luka Doncic or another Mavericks player scores a three-pointer, the Clippers can answer with one of their own. And their group of strong wing defenders means the Mavericks would be limited.

The Mavericks have tons of talent and they can be a force to be reckoned with too. But there are certain teams that are just bad news for the Mavericks.