DALLAS, Texas — The Dallas Mavericks are one step closer to beginning their 2020-2021 campaign. The team will play the Milwaukee Bucks in their first preseason game tonight. Although it is the preseason this preseason will be a little different from others in the past, as the NBA finished the 2019-2020 season less than three months ago giving teams who played in the bubble little time to prepare. We will see veterans play more in this year’s preseason which means we will see how well the Mavericks rotations will mesh and the continuity it will develop.Â
First things first. Let’s break down the history between these two teams.Â
The two organizations have faced off 77 times and the Milwaukee Bucks currently hold the lead in the all-time series with 41 wins. The Dallas Mavericks have won two of the last 4 matchups against the Bucks. Most recently the Mavericks defeated the Bucks in the NBA bubble where Luka Doncic racked up a triple-double (36 pts, 19 ast, 14 reb) shot 50% from the field, and Kristaps Porzingis and Dorian Finney-Smith also racked up double-doubles for the night. The last defeat the Mavericks suffered at the hand of the Bucks was in February of 2019.
Now, let’s break downThe Mavericks and the Bucks moves during the offseason.
Mavericks Projected Starting Lineup:Â
PG Luka Doncic
SG Tim Hardaway Jr.
SF Josh Richardson
PF Maxi Kleber
C Dwight Powell
Bucks Projected Starting Lineup:Â
PG Jrue Holiday
SG Donte DiVincenzo
SF Khris Middleton
PF Giannis Antetokounmpo
C Brook Lopez
The Mavericks drafted Arizona guard Josh Green with the 18th overall pick in the NBA draft and then traded Seth Curry to the Philadelphia 76ers for Josh Richardson and the 36th overall pick which the Mavericks used to select F Tyler Bey. The Mavericks also traded for NBA veteran James Johnson who spent last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and re-signed several key role players like Trey Burke, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Tim Hardaway Jr.. Dwight Powell has also returned after suffering a ruptured achilles in January.
The Bucks added more pieces around their all-star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. The team traded for veteran NBA guard Jrue Holiday and also signed D.J. Augustin and Bobby Portis to deals during the offseason. Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Donte DiVincenzo will return to the starting lineup for the Bucks this year.
This will be our first look at the retooled Mavericks roster so what should we expect in their first outing?
#1: Three Ball & DE-FENSE!
Rick Carlisle has said several times that there will be a heavy emphasis on defense this year. The Mavericks added players like Josh Richardson, James Johnson, and rookie Josh Green to enhance their defensive approach. The team also re-signed athletic forward Willie Cauley Stein and still has bigs who can defend the basket like Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, and Boban Marjonovic. The Mavericks are one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA and proved it by leading the league in points per possession last season. Dallas ranked 10th in three point percentage, 3rd in points per game, but were rated the 18th best defense. Expect Dallas to be aggressive on the defensive end and take smart shots from the perimeter.
#2: Rookie Play
Rick Carlisle has expressed how impressed he is with Josh Green’s abilities to defend and shoot the 3 ball. Green will play a major role in the second unit coming off the bench. Tyrell Terry, who was considered a steal in the NBA draft, will look to flex his basketball IQ after breaking a record on the IQ test in the NBA draft process and his shooting skills. Terry will possibly be in the rotation to some capacity after the Mavericks decided to release longtime Maverick J.J. Barea this past week. Tyler Bey, who signed a two way deal with the Mavericks, is a player the Mavericks drafted for his “defense first” mentality and could potentially see the floor during the Mavericks first preseason game to outfit their defensive needs on a young but proven roster.
#3: No KP? No Problem
Dwight Powell has seen most of the starting reps at the center position in KP’s absence, but expect for Willie Cauley-Stein to also see a good share of minutes tonight. Maxi Kleber and Boban Majornovic will also see shared time on the floor. Kristaps Porzingis played in 3 games during the bubble playoffs before ultimately being sidelined due to a meniscus injury, so the Mavericks are no stranger to playing without him in the lineup. Tonight will give us a glimpse of how deep the Mavericks are at center, and how well they can manage while Porzingis recovers.
#4: Who Will be #2 Point Guard?
The Mavericks know who their starting point guard is in Luka Doncic, but who will step up to lead the second unit this season after the team announced they released longtime Maverick J.J. Barea? Dallas signed Trey Burke before the beginning of the playoffs to fill the void left by Jalen Brunson who opted out while still recovering from an injury sustained earlier in the season. Burke, who has had two stints with the Mavericks averaged 12 points per game and 26 minutes per game, played a big role with the team during the playoffs. Brunson averaged 8.2 points and 18 minutes per game before his injury. It will be interesting to see how Carlisle will utilize both players in the Mavericks rotation.
There are many things to be excited about with this team and the direction they are going in. The team has acquired the ideal players and changed their overall focus within months of leaving the bubble. Tonight, this team will take the court and put their new identity to the test.
