If you opted to skip the Mavericks’ preseason and wait for Thursday’s season opener against San Antonio, I can’t blame you. Stars rarely play; Luka Dončić missed all of the action with a minor calf injury, and Kyrie Irving only participated in two halves across four games. With that, players stepped into roles and took plenty of shots that we won’t see much over the course of an 82-game season. End-of-the-bench players and those on two-way contracts got their fair share of minutes. Jazian Gortman and A.J. Lawson battling for the 18th roster spot? That’s something even the truest of diehards have a hard time getting excited about.
So preseason is about watching for smaller cues and signals. And on that front, this year’s exhibition games delivered. Between the arrival of Klay Thompson, the integration of summer additions Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes, young guns Jaden Hardy and Olivier-Maxence Prosper eager for their shot, and the general vibes and expectations, this has been one of the more intriguing preseasons for this franchise in recent memory.
But before we dive in, a quick thought about the most important player. By all accounts from training camp scrimmages, and from what I saw during one of his last practices here in Slovenia before he headed to Dallas, Dončić looks to be in great shape and in great spirits. For the first time in his seven seasons as a Maverick, the backbone of a team with especially high expectations was in place well before the season started, and it seems the Slovenian superstar recognizes it.
Speaking of a backbone, we can’t talk about the preseason without mentioning Dereck Lively II. Every one of my postgame observations—yes, I do them even for preseason games on my Substack page—featured some sort of highlight reel, which had me raving about the 20-year-old, 7-foot-1 big man. Early in his first season, I wrote that Lively was no ordinary rookie when it comes to his learning curve and adapting to the NBA game. He capped off an impressive debut season by playing a significant role in a Finals run, something we haven’t seen from a rookie center in a long time. I’ve heard some of the brightest NBA minds say that a playoff game is worth almost two regular-season games in terms of experience, and in Lively’s case, being battle-tested in 21 playoff games feels as if he played an extra season. The biggest takeaway from the preseason? Lively is showing the confidence of someone building off of that experience, looking even more comfortable playing the most important defensive position on the floor: that of a backline, paint-protecting anchor.
Some of Lively’s limitations on the offensive end were exposed during the Finals, as he struggled to punish the Celtics’ switching smaller defenders and take away the lob. It was clear that improving his touch a few feet from the rim was one of his summer priorities. Lively made just seven shots on 22 attempts from seven feet or more from the rim across the regular season and playoffs last year. In his final preseason game against the Bucks, he made three such shots, displaying both improved touch and confidence with his hook and floater. My colleague Austin Ngaruiya recently told everyone to temper their expectations for Lively’s sophomore campaign, but the potential growth we’re already witnessing might be the biggest reason for optimism as to why the Mavericks should be better this season—and why they could be headed to the best regular season in Dončić’s tenure.
To be clear, I’m not downplaying the significance of what is likely the biggest free-agent signing in franchise history; I just believe Lively is that good. And, yes, Thompson’s preseason numbers weren’t exactly impressive: the 34-year-old shot just 24 percent from the floor and 33 percent from beyond the arc in his three appearances. Thompson was clearly dealing with jitters, trying to prove too much too soon in his new uniform.
But many of the forced and missed shots came from the lack of playmaking infrastructure around him, with Dončić and Irving both out. There’s a huge sample size proving Thompson is a great shooter, so I didn’t make much of his firing a few blanks in the preseason. What caught my attention was how opposing defenses reacted to him. In the game against the Clippers, for example, Ivica Zubac, who usually sits back in drop coverage, was stepping up high on almost every screen and handoff involving Thompson. Thompson’s gravity—the ability to create advantages by drawing two defenders in a way we’re not used to seeing from the Mavericks’ main ball handlers—is what makes him so dangerous. On top of that, he could almost single-handedly return the Mavericks’ three-point shooting rate to among the league’s best, a category they dropped off in after Tim Hardaway Jr. lost his rotation spot to make room for more size and defense following last season’s trade deadline moves.
So the team’s backbone of the team is set. The Mavericks also have a clear starting five of Dončić, Irving, Lively, Thompson, and ultimate glue guy P.J. Washington, which ought to provide much-needed stability and structure—a trait shared by most contending teams. But having depth and enough talent off the bench is also key, and the preseason showed the Mavericks have three potential high-end role players in Marshall, Grimes, and Daniel Gafford. Gafford will overwhelm most opposing bench centers with his athleticism. Marshall brings edge, toughness, some playmaking, and hopefully, consistent shooting as a key wing defender. Grimes adds more on-ball defense and, like Thompson, the ability to shoot on the move at a rate we haven’t seen from a three-and-D player in the Dončić era.
Alongside those three, the Mavericks have a couple of wild cards. Maxi Kleber missed the preseason with a left ankle injury, serving as a reminder that his minutes should be viewed as a bonus rather than something the team can consistently rely on. Then there are the two 22-year-olds, Hardy and Prosper, who logged the most preseason minutes of anyone on the roster. Both are looking to translate those minutes into meaningful ones during the regular season. Hardy was the Mavericks’ top scorer in the preseason, and with Dante Exum sidelined and Spencer Dinwiddie’s inefficient play, he should undoubtedly get the first opportunity as the third ball handler in the rotation. Hardy’s main strengths—his transition game and reliable three-point shot—carried over from his sophomore season, and he also showed flashes of greater patience and improved reads while running pick-and-rolls as the primary option. On the flip side, his youthful inexperience and turnovers are still there and could be tough to endure for a veteran team with championship aspirations. Dinwiddie didn’t show much, or rather anything, to earn meaningful time, but how much leeway Jason Kidd gives Hardy is something to keep an eye on early in the season.
Prosper probably won’t be part of the regular rotation when the season starts. He remains an intriguing prospect, but I’m not sure if the expectations for him align with his skill set. As was the case in his rookie year and during summer league play, Prosper’s bright spots primarily came with the ball in his hands during garbage time, where he flashed his driving ability and got to the free-throw line. However, we didn’t see much of him in the role he was expected to fill to crack the rotation, as an impactful, or even game-changing defender, and reliable spot-up shooter. The decision to keep another prospect with similar expectations, Kessler Edwards, on a two-way deal over A.J. Lawson—even after Edwards missed all of the preseason due to injury—signals that Prosper will face even more competition. It also reinforces the notion that there’s no such thing as having too much wing length on an NBA roster.
The preseason gave us no reason to doubt what everyone from Kidd to Dončić to Irving to Thompson emphasized at media day: the Mavs’ championship aspirations are real. The depth and talent on display, even without the stars in full force, has only solidified those lofty expectations. And that’s why there’s every reason to be excited when Lively tries to snag the opening tip against Victor Wembanyama on Thursday night.
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