Sergio de Larrea wasted little time giving Dallas something to think about.
Through his first two preseason games, the Mavericks’ first-round pick has already looked steady and in control, exactly the kind of presence a thin backcourt needs behind Kyrie Irving. Across the two meetings with Houston, de Larrea played 45 minutes and stood out as the most composed young player on the floor in both games.
His debut on Friday had the louder line. Against a Rockets group that included Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet, de Larrea put up 11 points and six assists in 23 minutes during Dallas’ 135-117 loss.
He played more than anyone else on the roster in that game, which says plenty about the trust he earned right away. The four turnovers were the obvious drawback, but they fit the scouting report.
Houston was aggressive on the ball, and that kind of pressure was always going to be part of the learning curve for a rookie whose physical handling had already been identified as the main area to clean up.
Sunday brought a cleaner, more complete showing. Dallas beat Houston 132-115, and de Larrea finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 3-of-7 in 22 minutes.
He also posted a plus-34, the best mark on either side. Houston was without Durant and Sengun for the rematch, so the roster context was different, but a number like that still jumps off the page for a player in just his second NBA game.
The closing stretch is where he really separated himself. In the fourth quarter alone, de Larrea had four points, four rebounds and four assists. He helped set up a Tobi Lawal alley-oop, a Seth Lundy 3-pointer and a Tarik Biberović layup that stretched the lead to 132-113 with 23 seconds remaining.
Before Sunday’s game, Dusty May spent time talking about de Larrea and made it clear how much he values him. May called him incredibly valuable and pointed to the competitive edge that shows up most when the games start counting.
He also drew a comparison to Cooper Flagg in one specific way, saying both players look better in live action than they do in practice. At the same time, he didn’t ignore the obvious reality: de Larrea is 20, and there are still holes he’s working to fill every day.
Those rough edges are part of the package. There will be nights when the turnovers pile up, when bigger guards give him trouble and when NBA pace takes some of his game away. That’s the price of putting a 20-year-old into real rotation minutes.
But there’s a lot to like in the way he plays. He doesn’t hurry, doesn’t force the issue and sees the floor far beyond what most rookie guards can process. Four seasons of professional basketball in Spain help explain that calm.
And the path is clear. With the guard depth behind Irving looking thin and Marcus Sasser missing both games because of left adductor soreness, Dallas needs someone who can run things when Irving sits. De Larrea spent the weekend showing he might be ready for that job earlier than expected.
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What makes the situation tricky is that Powell is not just filling a short-term role. If he earns a roster spot, Dallas could find itself weighing a move it probably did not expect this early, especially with roster space always at a premium and room for veteran holdovers never guaranteed. For a player brought back to provide stability, Powell may end up forcing the Mavericks into a decision about how much they value that presence versus the flexibility they still need elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irving Update Has Mavericks Fans Eyeing A Very Different Season
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The bigger picture around him is still taking shape, though, and it has a lot to do with how the organization views his next chapter. The Mavericks see a path where Irving is not only back on the floor, but also helping steer younger teammates through the daily grind of a season, with his return carrying the potential to alter the teams ceiling in a way that felt far off not long ago. [Read more 🡒]