Size, defense, and a new system define the Mavericks. Despite shooting woes, this revamped squad targets an aggressive, winning identity.
The Dallas Mavericks are setting aside concerns about their preseason shooting and focusing on the bigger picture as they prepare for Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the San Antonio Spurs.
Dallas shot just 30.8% from three-point range over four exhibition games, a troubling number for a team that emphasizes spacing and pace. But players and coaches say the poor shooting isn’t cause for alarm.
“We’re getting great looks,” rookie forward Cooper Flagg said. “The shots haven’t been falling as consistently as we want. But it’s preseason. Shots will fall. We’re all going to trust the reps we’ve put in.”
Flagg said the Mavericks made meaningful progress in their new motion-based system during training camp. “We’re playing the brand of basketball we want to play,” he said. “Obviously, we’re still working on things, our rotations, but I think we made good strides.”
The Mavericks begin the season with a revamped identity built around size, defense, and tempo. Their projected starting lineup — with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Flagg across the front line — gives Dallas one of the tallest and most versatile cores in the league.
Guard Max Christie said that size has already made a difference defensively.
“As a guard on the perimeter, being able to have two bigs out there — guys who are tall, athletic, and long — makes a big difference,” Christie said. “Defensively it makes my life a lot easier knowing I’ve got help back there. I think the two-big lineup works for us, for sure.”
Lively said the Mavericks’ defensive focus has been central to their identity from the start of camp.
“Defense is going to be our best weapon,” Lively said. “We want to be the aggressor, punch first, and if somebody hits us, we’re still swinging. That’s the mindset we’re building.”
While much of the attention has gone to the team’s young players, Davis remains the cornerstone. Healthy after dealing with an eye issue during the summer, he enters his first full season in Dallas ready to set the tone on both ends.
“I’m finding my spots in the offense,” Davis said. “There’s a lot of not only ball movement but body movement. We just got to continue to make the right play. It requires us to be a better-conditioned team — and how we want to play defensively.”
Another encouraging sign has been the play of Naji Marshall, who averaged 9.5 points in 19.2 minutes during preseason. Marshall has been one of the first players off the bench and earned praise from coach Jason Kidd for his energy and toughness.
“He’s been great,” Kidd said. “Defensively, we understand he’s one of our tough guys and he’s up for that challenge. We don’t have to run a play for him. He’ll find ways to make plays.”
The Mavericks will open the regular season in San Antonio before returning home for five straight games at American Airlines Center.
“Every team’s got imperfections at this point,” Christie said. “But we’ve put in the work, we’re communicating well, and we feel like we’re in a good spot.”