DALLAS — The beauty of the NBA regular season is that nothing lasts very long — not the highs nor the lows.

The Dallas Mavericks are counting on that as they prepare to host the Washington Wizards on Friday night, two days after being humbled by Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a 125-92 blowout. The defeat served as an early reminder that this revamped Mavericks roster still has plenty of work to do.

Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t sugarcoat his post-practice assessment.

“We weren’t good at anything, so we obviously have a lot of room to grow,” Kidd said.

Thursday’s session was less about punishment and more about perspective. The Mavericks focused on film, communication, and spacing — the subtleties that often determine early-season success. Kidd described it as a “mental day,” built around reestablishing offensive identity and trust.

A major talking point was three-point volume. Dallas attempted only 21 threes in San Antonio, a figure Kidd called unacceptable in the modern NBA.

“Both teams — one shoots 20, we shoot 21,” Kidd said. “We’ve got teams out there averaging 40. It was not a display of three-point shooting; it was a display of free throws and paint points, and they won both. We have to be better. Again, we had some good looks that didn’t go down, but we shot way too many mid-range shots.”

The Mavericks finished just 37.3% from the field while being outscored 68-26 in the paint and 31-8 on the fast break. Kidd emphasized that better spacing and ball movement are critical to generating higher-quality looks from deep.

Max Christie, who made three of his four attempts from beyond the arc, said that increasing shot volume from long range will come with rhythm and repetition.

“We want to generate more threes as a team,” Christie said. “The NBA is trending toward higher-volume three-point shooting — the Celtics last year averaged 45 a game. That’s where the league is heading. And I think we have shooters and playmakers to make those threes happen.”

Christie also pointed to the challenges of adapting to a new system under Kidd and the coaching staff.

“We’re trying to figure out cutting and sacrificing for each other to be able to create those opportunities,” Christie said. “Give credit to San Antonio — their defense was phenomenal. But for us, we got to do a better job of player movement, ball movement. That’ll generate more threes and layups and open looks. Just easier shots.”

Dallas (0-1) enters Friday’s matchup without Kyrie Irving and Danté Exum, both sidelined due to injuries, though center Daniel Gafford could return after missing the opener. Kidd said the 6-foot-10 big man would be listed as questionable.

“He did some stuff,” Kidd said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”

The Wizards (0-1) opened their season with a 133-121 loss at Milwaukee, where Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 37 points and 14 rebounds to lead seven Bucks players in double figures. Former Buck Khris Middleton led Washington with 23 points, while rookie Tre Johnson added 16 off the bench.

Kidd said the Wizards’ revamped roster shouldn’t be underestimated.

“Washington has a couple of vets over there that can put the ball in the basket — Middleton and CJ (McCollum),” Kidd said. “They can score. It’s not the Washington of old. They can put up a lot of points.”

Friday’s game will also offer another learning opportunity for rookie Cooper Flagg, who had a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in his debut while playing point guard. Kidd said the teenager’s confidence and adaptability impressed him.

“The more he’s in these situations, the better he’s going to get,” Kidd said. “But I thought he did a really good job for us on both ends.”

Christie agreed, crediting Flagg’s composure amid a challenging debut.

“It was a mental day, but he was fine,” Christie said. “Everybody knows it’s the first game, he’s 18 years old and we’re putting him in a tough spot. Even though his shot wasn’t falling, he was still impacting the game.”

The Mavericks will look to show that same steadiness Friday at American Airlines Center — this time, with sharper execution, better movement, and a renewed sense of urgency.

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.