The Mavericks have already started experimenting with their starting group in the preseason, and one of the more notable wrinkles has been Zaccharie Risacher getting the nod with the first unit in both games. That has put him in the same conversation as Max Christie, who started for Dallas last season and is also pushing for a role alongside Cooper Flagg and company.
Christie has made a pretty strong case of his own. He already looks like the cleaner fit as a shooter, and Dallas has seen exactly why.
After averaging 4.2 points per game with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24, Christie jumped to 11.2 points in his first half-season with the Mavericks and then 12.3 last year. He has improved in three straight seasons and settled in as a valuable floor-spacer next to Flagg.
Last season, Christie hit 2.3 3-pointers per game while shooting 40.4 percent from deep. He was one of only two Mavericks to make more than 100 3-pointers - the other was Klay Thompson, who is no longer in Dallas - and he was the only Maverick to shoot better than 40.0 percent from beyond the arc. That kind of accuracy made him a major piece of Dallas’ offense.
Still, the Mavericks would be wise not to let Christie’s shooting keep them from seeing what Risacher could become.
The 6-foot-8 wing brings a different kind of value. Risacher projects as a plus defender as he continues to develop, can still hit 3s at an above-average rate, and adds the kind of little things that help round out a lineup, especially offensive rebounding. For a Dallas team with limited draft capital coming up, that upside matters.
The Mavericks do not control their own first-round pick until 2031, which makes Risacher feel a little like an extra first-round swing for the franchise. He is also just a year older than Dallas’ first-round pick from this past June’s draft, Morez Johnson Jr.
And this is not just about long-term theory. Risacher has already shown some of the traits that make him interesting now. He has a strong transition game and a better-than-expected nose for the glass on offense, which gives Dallas another layer that Christie does not really provide.
Christie remains the better pure shooter, but his game is built mostly around that one elite skill. He does not generate a lot of his own offense, averaged only 2.0 assists per game even on a Mavericks roster thin at guard, and posted 1.0 stocks per game.
Risacher is not some direct opposite of Christie, either. More than half of his field goals came off assists, he averaged 1.1 assists per game last season, and he put up 1.6 stocks per game.
Even so, the sense remains that there is still more in the tank. He was the first overall pick for a reason, and Dallas is betting that reason is still waiting to fully show itself.
In Other News...
Max Christie Could Become Much More Dangerous In New Mavericks Role
The Mavericks early preseason look has already hinted at some lineup experimentation, and Zaccharie Risachers presence is giving Dallas another option on the wing. If Risacher settles into a starting shooting guard job, Max Christie could be the player nudged into a different role after starting 68 games last season and showing clear growth on both ends of the floor. That kind of shift would be a notable one for a player who earned more trust with improved scoring and defense and now has to adjust to a new fit in a young roster under Dusty May.
For Christie, a move to the bench would not automatically mean a step back. It could actually come with more freedom, more touches, and more responsibility as Dallas continues to prioritize development and see what it has in its younger pieces. The bigger question is how that usage looks in practice, and whether Christie can turn a different role into a more dangerous offensive profile for a Mavericks team still sorting out its long-term rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks May Have Already Found Klay Thompson's Shooting Replacement
Klay Thompsons departure left the Mavericks with a clear need on the perimeter, and Dallas moved quickly to address it by bringing in Tarik Biberovic. After buying out Thompson this offseason, the Mavs watched him land with the Miami Heat, then turned to a shooter who built a strong reputation in Europe and flashed that same touch in preseason games.
Biberovic is expected to fill a similar role as a high-volume threat from deep, giving Dallas another option to stretch defenses and help improve the teams three-point shooting. It is a different path than the one Thompson took, but for a roster still sorting out its spacing, the Mavericks believe they may already have a useful answer in place. [Read more 🡒]
Dwight Powell's Mavericks Role Suddenly Feels Bigger Than Fans Expected
Dwight Powell has been a familiar face in Dallas for a long time, but this preseason has given his presence a different kind of weight. He has been in the Mavericks exhibition lineup and drawn positive comments from coach Dusty May, who pointed to Powells leadership, basketball IQ and fit with the second unit. With his contract now guaranteed, the veteran big man is no longer just trying to keep a spot - he is being viewed as someone who can help steady the group and bring younger players along.
Powells value also goes beyond the routine preseason minutes. May has highlighted what he can offer in the pick-and-roll, an area that often helps define bench units early in the year, and the Mavericks still have two more preseason games to sort out how all of it fits. For a player whose role can sometimes be taken for granted, this stretch has made clear that his continued play could still shape where he stands by the time Dallas finalizes its roster. [Read more 🡒]