The Mavericks didn’t need the preseason result in New Orleans to tell them much about the first night without a pile of key names, but the game did make one thing obvious: Dallas is a very different offense when Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving are both sitting.
In a 101-97 loss to the Pelicans, the Mavericks spent most of the night chasing the game. New Orleans was ahead after each of the first three quarters, and Dallas never found enough consistent scoring from its starting group to flip the script.
None of the starters reached double figures, and the box score told the story from the jump: P.J. Washington went 0/5 from the field, Zaccharie Risacher finished 3/11, and Naji Marshall went 2/5.
That lack of shot creation showed up everywhere. Without Irving and Flagg, the Mavs had trouble generating clean looks or getting anyone settled into a rhythm, which made it hard for the rest of the group to build much momentum. Dusty May had called Friday more of a dress rehearsal, but this game still served as a reminder of how thin the margin can be when the headliners are out.
There was at least one bright spot off the bench. Rookie Tobi Lawal gave Dallas a jolt with 16 points, and he did his damage by going a perfect 8/8 at the line. In a game where offense was hard to come by, that kind of pressure on the rim mattered.
Moussa Cisse also made a strong case for himself. With talk this week about the Mavericks possibly moving on from him to make room for Dwight Powell, Cisse answered with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 16 minutes, plus four offensive rebounds.
He got a chance to play with the starting unit and looked more comfortable doing it. Cisse also tweaked his ankle, and Dallas chose not to push him further in the preseason setting, but the minutes he did play may have helped his cause.
Another encouraging sign came from Sergio De Larrea, who shouldered a bigger load because of the missing playmaking around him. He played 30 minutes and finished with 10 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.
The downside was the four turnovers, and that’s something to keep an eye on once the games start counting. He likes to make tougher passes, and physicality can give him trouble at times, but the skill level is obvious.
For Dallas, that may be the bigger preseason takeaway than the final score. The Mavs don’t want to spend many nights without Irving and Flagg because there simply isn’t much shot-making left when they’re both out. Irving’s availability has always been a question, and if he sits on most back-to-backs, that puts even more pressure on Flagg and the training staff to keep the offense from stalling out.
Still, the Mavericks did at least get a look at some useful depth. And if nothing else, this one reinforced the obvious: when the top creators are missing, every possession gets a lot harder.
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 🡒]