\When cutting the turkey, are you thinking of Luka Doncic?

How about when you grab the gravy — does Tim Hardaway Jr. come to mind?

Thanksgiving is a time for friends and family, but what happens when your favorite Dallas Mavericks suddenly turn into Thanksgiving dishes?

Let's jump into the land of food and make-believe to find out.

Turkey: Luka Doncic.

As consistent as it comes, turkey and Doncic are synonymous. With turkey, you know what you're getting. And when done right — fried, in my humble opinion — it can carry any Thanksgiving day feast. Similarly, when Doncic is on his A-game, he can carry anyone in a Dallas Mavericks uniform, including you, me, and that one uncle that swore he could have made the league if not for his bum knee.

Green bean casserole: Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis as a green bean casserole just makes sense. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad — well, I think you know what I mean. Nonetheless, a good green bean casserole is integral to any Thanksgiving table's success. The same goes for Porzingis and the Mavericks. When he's on, he's on. And when he's off, he's really off. But, he's every bit as necessary to Dallas' success as Doncic is.

Mac & cheese: Jalen Brunson 

Thanksgiving isn't complete without the mac and cheese. It's so simple, yet so effective — just like Brunson's game on the hardwood. He won't wow you, but it's extremely difficult for him to disappoint you.

Gravy: Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Gravy is the embodiment of Hardaway. When he has it going, his game can accentuate everyone else's skills on the court. Similar to gravy, when it's good, who cares if it gets on your turkey and a little bit of it gets in your green bean casserole? The only problem is, you never know how good the gravy is going to be. One minute you're feeling, the next you're feeling queasy.

Mashed potatoes: Dorian Finney-Smith

Being a mashed potato is a thankless job. People don't notice you when you're there, but the moment you're gone, your presence is felt. Insert, Finney-Smith into this equation. He does all the dirty work and is hardly ever thanked. At times, he's the glue that holds this team together, the same way mashed potatoes hold together your Thanksgiving dinner plate.

Stuffing: Dwight Powell

Stuffing doesn't do much. It's there if you need it, but your plate is fine without it. The same goes for Powell. He's good enough to be at the party. But once he's there, don't expect anything else out of him.

Cranberry sauce: Reggie Bullock

No one goes into Thanksgiving thinking of cranberry sauce. But if it's good, you'll eat it. No one goes into a Mavs game thinking about Bullock, but when he plays well you know about it. However, like cranberry sauce, you never know when he's going to be good, iffy, or awful.

Sweet potato casserole: Maxi Kleber

Immensely underrated, and in turn, underappreciated — sweet potato casserole and Kleber just make sense. He may not start every game, but his defense, 3-point shooting and leadership make him indispensable. In the same breath, if you don't have sweet potato casserole on your plate, you'll always go back and grab some when it's available.

Pie: Boban Marjanovic 

Marjanovic is pie because when he checks into the game, you know the game is close to over. And who doesn't love a good pie after all the Thanksgiving day food?

Happy Holidays.

Related Dallas Mavericks reading:

"Kristaps Porzingis says he and Doncic can be among the NBA's elite duos." 

"Mavs Journal: Doncic's superhero return, Dallas secures a big win in LA."

"What did we learn about the Dallas Mavericks over the road stretch?" 

Feature image via  Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.