Klay Thompson looked good in the navy and white.
The Mavericks fell short of their first pre-season victory Thursday night, as they lost to the Utah Jazz 107-102. Lauri Markkanen led the way for Utah, tallying 26 points in 29 minutes. Dallas got 15 points from Daniel Gafford in just 18 minutes, but could not get enough from their starting unit to keep a win within reach.
The first half was a weird one. The Mavericks’ starting lineup, which featured Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, was a combined -38. The Jazz made some difficult shots, but it was clear that the Mavericks did not want to risk their bodies to hustle on defense. Coupled that with shots not falling in the first quarter and you get a 13-point halftime deficit. Dallas won the second half, but their third unit could not muster up enough of a fourth-quarter comeback to flip the scoreboard. An O-Max three with 24.1 seconds left got Dallas within three, but the Mavericks’ strategy department was still in pre-season form, as they did not tell them to foul until 6 seconds remained. Brice Sensabaugh made two free throws and the game was over.
Klay Thompson, Dallas Maverick
The last time Klay Thompson wore a jersey that did not read “Warriors” on the front, I was 11 years old. Thompson put on the Dallas Mavericks’ white and blue for the first time Thursday night and boy, was it surreal. It almost looked like you were watching a game in NBA 2K16 that was simulated 10 years into the future with Kyrie Irving on the floor alongside Thompson. Video game or not, he looked right at home on the Mavericks’ gray court and wasted no time breaking it in. The former Splash Brother shot 3-of-9 in 18 minutes of play against Utah, with his three makes coming from behind the arc.
Offensively, Thompson looked good. The shooting numbers were not ideal, but every shot he took was a shot the Mavericks wanted him to take. He had a couple of good assists in tight windows in the lane to Dereck Lively, and it did not look like he forced anything. On the defensive end, he looked good as well. He moved his feet, contested shots, and helped out on a few rebounds. For his first game with a completely new team, he did not look rusty or indecisive in the slightest.
Scoring in the paint against Dallas will not be easy
If there is a breakout storyline this season coming from Dallas, it may be that they have the best one-two punch at center in the NBA. Dereck Lively is a monster on the defensive end; there is not a shot he can’t block nor a player he can’t stay in front of. His instincts are second to none and the scariest part for other teams is that when he goes to take a rest, Daniel Gafford comes in and the energy goes up. The four blocks they had in the first half were not just tipped balls, they were assertive swats against a formidable and large Utah front line. Outside of their dominant big men, the Mavericks have a lot of guys willing to rotate on the inside. Naji Marshall does this well in particular, but multiple players showed signs of effort. The Mavericks’ biggest point of emphasis this season has to be rebounding, however, because when Lively and Gafford went to contest shots there were too many easy putbacks by the Jazz. If that isn’t cleaned up, Dallas may be near the top in second-chance points given up this year.
The Mavericks have talent unlike anything they’ve had since 2011
One thing was clear as the Mavericks rolled out more of their regular players Thursday night: the talent from top to bottom on the roster is new territory. Between elite size, skill, and athleticism, this Dallas team has things they have not had in years. When the Mavericks have gone to their bench in the past, it has looked like a hodgepodge of guys just trying to hold everything together. When Dallas brought the subs in Thursday night, they brought in Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Daniel Gafford, who have started a combined 310 games in their career. Even Jaden Hardy and Olivier Maxence-Prosper showed signs of improvement and looked like NBA-level players. The Mavericks looked competent in every lineup despite the scoreboard, and they were able to do that without Luka Doncic and P.J. Washington. This is going to be a very fun season.