Sometimes the clearest sign of a new era is the way a team carries itself.
For the Dallas Mavericks, this season has already started to feel different. After the chaos that followed the Luka Doncic trade, the franchise spent the offseason tearing things down and rebuilding from the top. Nico Harrison was fired early last season, but team governor Patrick Dumont held off on naming a replacement until the offseason, when he hired Masai Ujiri.
Ujiri wasted little time reshaping the operation. Nearly the entire front office was replaced, the coaching staff was overhauled, and Jason Kidd was dismissed late in the process. The move that really stood out, though, was the hire of Dusty May, who arrived in Dallas after winning a national championship at Michigan.
That decision has already started to pay off in the early going. May is making his first jump from college to the NBA, and the Mavericks’ players appear to be buying in quickly.
Center Daniel Gafford described what it has been like to play for him during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
"I love him to death. It's been a minute since I've experienced the type of coaching that he has.
He's so energetic," Gafford said. "He emphasizes everything.
And one thing he's going to do is hold guys accountable... At the same time, as he's holding you accountable, he's speaking life into you...
He's going to have a really good career when it comes to a lot of players in this league..."
The results on the floor have backed up that kind of praise. Several Mavericks are putting together the best stretches of their careers, and it is hard to ignore that it is happening in May’s first season.
Walter Clayton Jr. has been one of the biggest surprises. A first-round pick a year ago, he was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies before the season and then signed by Dallas to a two-way contract. Since then, he has become the team’s best guard behind Kyrie Irving.
P.J. Washington is posting career highs in points and rebounds, and he is taking more threes than ever.
Gafford himself looks more confident than he has since Luka Doncic was traded away.
Zaccharie Risacher has developed into a legitimate All-Defense type of player.
Even Caleb Martin, who had not looked fully playable since leaving Miami, has found a role.
Taken together, it points to a coaching staff and culture that are working. It is still early, but the early returns under Dusty May have been promising.
In Other News...
Mavericks May Have Found A Frontcourt Spark Fans Werent Expecting
The Mavericks picked up a 112-100 NBA Cup win over the Jazz, and one of the quieter bright spots was rookie Morez Johnson Jr. The frontcourt minutes he earned turned into something more meaningful than just a spot appearance, as he gave Dallas a burst of activity on the glass and around the rim while showing why the team has been intrigued by his upside.
Dusty May praised Johnsons athleticism and effort afterward, pointing to the way the rookie has continued to progress since his preseason setback. For a Dallas team always looking for useful depth up front, Johnsons emergence is the kind of development that can change the conversation quickly, even if the bigger test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Just Gained An Early Edge In The NBA Cup Race
The 2026 NBA Cup group stage kept rolling with a slate that started to clarify the race, and Dallas has quietly put itself in a strong early position. After all 30 teams have now played at least one Cup game, the Mavericks are still unbeaten in group play, a useful spot to be in as the standings begin to take shape and the bracket picture comes into focus.
Elsewhere around the league, the Cavaliers added another win by beating the 76ers, while Luka Donis 53-point night helped the Lakers top the Trail Blazers. For Dallas, the encouraging part is less about any one result than the broader view: the Mavericks have handled their opening Cup games well enough to stay in the mix as the tournament moves toward the knockout phase, with the current standings starting to hint at what comes next. [Read more 🡒]