The 2020 NBA Playoffs commence tomorrow. The Western Conference is as stacked as ever and promises some mouth-watering matchups right from the first round. One of the most exciting contests will be between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks. Upcoming superstar Luka Doncic will be battling reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.

The Clippers have some notorious defenders on their roster, but the prospect of facing them is not worrying the 21-year old Slovenian. During a press conference, Luka was asked if he was prepared for the mental battle of facing elite defenders.

“I’m not worried, I’m used to it,” Doncic said. “I’ve been dealing with that since a couple of years. But yeah they’re physical, that’s the other problem. They’re going to be talking. They have Patrick Beverley then they have Paul George and Kawhi, who are amazing defenders. They have Zubac too, who I think is a very underrated inside defender too. It’s going to be tough. We got to be physical.”

Will Luka Doncic continue his form in the playoffs?

After a great individual performance in the bubble, Doncic was voted into the All-Bubble First Team. He almost averaged a triple-double in the seven games he played. He put up 30 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game. But he was still unable to improve his shooting from beyond the arc.

The Mavericks have struggled against the Clippers all season, losing three out of their three games against them. Doncic has also underperformed against them. Although he is averaging 29 points in the three games, it came off volume shooting. He averages 40% from the field against them and a miserable 24% from three.

The team has often been over-reliant on him, and they will be expecting their star can improve when it matters. A lot of players crumble during the playoffs. So going against the best defenders in the playoffs will be the real test for Doncic.

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Will the LA Clippers maintain the title of one of the favorites and start with a win, or will the dark horse Dallas Mavericks begin with an upset? The battle begins tonight at 8 pm.