The Mavericks didn’t waste much time showing where they want to go offensively. In their first preseason game against the Houston Rockets yesterday in China, Dallas put up 51 threes, and the most eye-catching part of that number was who was taking some of them.
Daniel Gafford and rookie Morez Johnson Jr. each knocked down a 3-pointer, and both looked comfortable doing it. That matters because it points to something the Mavericks haven’t had in years: a big man who can reliably stretch the floor.
Last season’s offense had plenty of issues, and 3-point shooting was one of the biggest. Dallas made it clear this offseason that improving there was a priority, and the preseason opener backed that up in a hurry.
But the deeper shift may be even more important than the volume. The Mavericks have been without a true stretch five for a while, and that has limited what they could do around the arc.
The league has changed, and teams now lean hard into centers and bigs who can space the floor in five-out looks. Dallas has been behind on that front. The last player who could handle the five spot and consistently hit threes for the Mavericks was Maxi Kleber, and even he had already fallen out of regular minutes before being traded.
This offseason brought a different approach. Dallas drafted Morez Johnson Jr., a big man who can stretch the floor, and also signed Santi Aldama, another big known for shooting threes. Those moves suggest a clear plan: build lineups where everyone on the floor can threaten from deep.
Johnson Jr. backed that up right away by starting and hitting a three in the preseason opener. That kind of early sign doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does show the direction Dallas is taking.
Gafford’s shot is the other piece worth watching. Dusty May said during training camp interviews that he wants Gafford to be a connector and to take open threes when the defense gives them to him.
Coaches say plenty in camp, but this one looked more believable after Friday night. Gafford took just one three, yet he caught it cleanly, stepped into it smoothly, and buried it with nothing but net.
If that shot shows up regularly, it changes the Mavericks’ offense in a meaningful way. It gives them something they haven’t had in a long time.
It’s only one preseason game, and preseason always comes with the usual caution. But new habits have to start somewhere, and with a new coaching staff in place, this was the kind of early sign that can tell you a lot. Johnson Jr. and Gafford are expected to play major roles this season, and if Friday was any indication, their impact could go well beyond the box score.
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