The Mavericks are inching toward getting healthier, and a few roster decisions are starting to take shape at the same time.
Marcus Sasser, who has missed Dallas’ first three preseason games with a left adductor injury he picked up in practice, is expected to be available for Friday’s preseason finale, head coach Dusty May said Thursday. That would give Sasser a chance to make his Mavericks debut after sitting out the early part of camp work and exhibition play.
Santi Aldama is not there yet. The forward, who had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in March, has been “progressing” and “getting much, much closer” to returning, but May said he will not play Friday.
Dallas is also waiting on a couple of frontcourt pieces. Morez Johnson Jr. has been out with shin splints and has missed the last two preseason games, while Moussa Cisse is dealing with a left ankle sprain after exiting Wednesday’s game against New Orleans early. May said Johnson is “really close” to coming back, and Cisse’s issue is being treated as a precaution after he skipped Thursday’s practice.
“They’ll check the swelling, especially in an exhibition game, we’re not gonna put a guy out,” May said. “We could risk further injury because it’s such a long season.”
There’s another roster question hanging over the team, and it involves veteran big man Dwight Powell. He is the only one of Dallas’ 16 players on standard contracts without a fully guaranteed salary, but May made it clear Thursday that Powell has made a strong impression.
“Dwight has been very valuable so far to us,” May said. “I think it’s evident, when he’s on the floor, we function well.
It’s been a joy to get to know him and be around him. … Dwight, he’s been very, very good for us.”
May said the decision on Powell belongs to the front office.
The Mavericks also haven’t settled on a starting lineup for the regular season. May said on Wednesday that he doesn’t know when the team will lock one in, or whether it will settle into one at all.
“I don’t know when we will settle into a starting lineup or if we will,” May said. “I think this is a team, for a number of reasons, that could see a different lineup each and every night, depending on who is healthy and the combinations - who’s playing the best together.”
With Kyrie Irving out on Wednesday and Sasser still sidelined, rookie Sergio de Larrea got a big opportunity off the bench and made it count, finishing with 10 points and six assists in a team-high 30 minutes. Even with five turnovers, May said de Larrea is “making a case” for a regular-season rotation spot.
“He’s shot it very well in games and scrimmages,” May said. “The turnovers, that’s partly us not giving him enough help and not having enough play-makers and ball-handlers on the court with him at all times.
But he’s a very, very confident player. He makes his teammates better.
We’re very, very pleased with his progression so far.”
In Other News...
Mavericks Just Got A Tougher Shooting Decision Than Fans Expected
John Poulakidas missing the Mavericks second preseason game naturally stirred some questions about where he stands in Dallas plans, especially with roster decisions still taking shape. The team has been looking for ways to sharpen its three-point shooting, and that has put a spotlight on players who can help stretch the floor without needing a heavy offensive load.
Poulakidas offered a reminder of why he remains part of that conversation in the latest look against the New Orleans Pelicans, when he scored 16 points and knocked down four three-pointers. For a roster still weighing moves involving him and others, that kind of bench shooting is exactly the sort of skill set that can make a decision more complicated than it first appeared. [Read more 🡒]
Dusty May Just Spotlighted Why Risacher Could Matter For Dallas
The Mavericks 101-97 preseason loss to the Pelicans didnt change much in the standings, but it did offer another look at why Zaccharie Risacher keeps drawing attention. Dallas fell to 1-2, and even in a game where his shot wasnt falling cleanly, Risacher still found ways to impact the action with his activity around the glass, his work in transition and the movement that kept him involved without needing the ball in his hands.
Dusty May made sure to point out those details after the game, and they matter for Dallas because they speak to a player who can help in more than one phase. Risacher finished with six points, four rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block in 23 minutes, a stat line that showed both his versatility and the rough edges that come with preseason evaluation. The shooting efficiency was uneven, but the larger takeaway for the Mavericks is that there is already evidence of the kind of connective play that can make him useful once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Could Face A Roster Squeeze Lakers Fans Should Watch
The Lakers search for more help behind their front line has pulled the Mavericks into the conversation, with one trade framework sending center Moussa Cisse to Los Angeles and bringing guard Jaden Hardy back to Dallas. It is the kind of swap that speaks to both teams needs: the Lakers would be looking to shore up backup big man depth, while Dallas would be betting on a young scorer who could add some punch off the bench.
For the Mavericks, the wrinkle is less about the name value of the deal than the roster math it could trigger. Dwight Powells return would require room, which means Dallas may have to make a decision somewhere else on the bench, and that is where the squeeze starts to matter. Hardys fit is easy enough to imagine in a second unit that could use more scoring, but the question is whether the Mavericks are ready to reshuffle bodies to make the move work. [Read more 🡒]