Milwaukee Bucks Opposition Intel: Dallas Mavericks Q&A With Jay Knodell

Mar 4, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Zaza Pachulia (27) steals the ball against Golden State Warriors center

(12) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

AM: I’m the world’s biggest Zaza Pachulia fan, and I know I’m not alone in missing him in Milwaukee, but how important has he been to Dallas considering he’s averaging a double-double and you had to give up next to nothing in return for him?

JK: One could make the case for Zaza being the Mavericks’ most valuable player. He’s been fantastic, helping Dallas stay competitive on the glass and serving as an emotional leader the way his predecessor Tyson Chandler did while manning the middle.

He’s currently tied for fourth in the entire league in double-doubles with 16, all while doing the little things that don’t show up in the box score but are imperative for team success. It’s safe to say that the trade that brought him to Dallas was one of the most underrated moves of the offseason and has provided the Mavericks with plenty of bang for the buck. No pun intended.

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