Category: Dallas Mavericks Blog

Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram blog reporting on Dallas Mavericks rookie Justin Anderson and his preseason play, which hadn’t been good yet, until:

But during Tuesday’s 100-88 defeat at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Bank Of Oklahoma Center, Anderson made some significant strides. The 6-6 swingman finished with 11 points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist in 24 minutes, and drew high praise form coach Rick Carlisle.

“For me he’s getting better each game,’’ Carlisle said, after his team dropped to 0-3 in preseason. “He’s learned a lot playing against an improved Denver team (in the preseason opener), and then going to Houston, and then playing these guys.

“These guys had all their guys.’’

Anderson has been going through what most rookies encounter. In essence, he’s discovering that the transition from the college to the pro game is no easy task.

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on super-athletic forward Jeremy Evans, who so far in his NBA career is known for great dunking but not on the national radar as a complete basketball player just yet:

Through two exhibitions in which the coaching staff was focused on evaluation of role players and those hoping to make the final roster, Evans was a standout.

He was an under-the-radar signee in free agency this summer. The Mavericks love the idea of him being able to play either forward position and also help out at center in certain small-ball lineups against opposing athletic centers.

“He’s a hard worker and all that, but he has the skill set, the athletic ability, he’s shooting the ball now to 3-point range and I’m confident he can guard all those positions,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s a guy we’re going to need to play multiple spots. We want activity, rebounding, shot-blocking, open shot-making and as you can see, you can throw the ball up and he’ll go get it and dunk it.”

That much was obvious on the rim-shaking dunks in the back-to-back exhibitions.

JaVale McGee a wildcard for Mavericks

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on new Mavs center JaVale McGee, whose ability to contribute to the team in the near future is unknown:

The 7-footer who has been plagued by leg problems the last two seasons has always been a little bit of an “out there” kind of person. He’s made lots of highlight reels, but often times for the wrong reasons, such as passing the ball to nobody on the other end of the court.

He’s been a blooper-reel editor’s best friend.

But at 27, he’s still a very young center who has more athleticism than the rest of the Mavericks’ center hopefuls put together. If he ever gets healthy – and that’s admittedly a big if – and if he can stay focused on the court, he’s got oodles of talent and could be a starting center for years to come.

But he’s a long way from that right now. He hasn’t been cleared to do any real basketball work, other than take some jump shots and his ballhandling.

He’s played just 28 games the last two seasons and if he makes the Mavericks’ roster – something that everybody expects – he’s probably not going to be ready to contribute until the regular season has already begun.

Mavs get rare day of rest

Here’s the Dallas Morning News reporting on Mavs training camp, which is serious business, though some of the older and banged up players on the squad are likely happy to get a brief break:

On Friday, the fourth day of training camp, Mavericks players will rest. No practice. Has Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle gone soft?

Not whatsoever. Time off is prudent for a team that’s been going through two-a-day practices with several injured and/or older players who haven’t as yet taken part in 5-on-5 scrimmaging.

The list includes Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, Wesley Matthews, JaVale McGee and Deron Williams. That’s four of this season’s five projected starters and one-fourth of the 20-man camp roster.

“The hope is that we can get some of these guys to do a little bit more [Saturday],” Carlisle said.

Change of scenery may help D-Will

Here’s the Dallas Morning News commenting on the Mavericks’ addition of Deron Williams and departure of Monta Ellis:

Fan question: What does Deron Williams have left in the tank? Does he stay after this season?

Columnist Eddie Sefko: “That’s one of the many ifs we mentioned earlier. He signed for two years, so I’d say that will be a fair amount of time to see if he can revert to the kind of player he was a few years back. Perhaps this change of scenery will serve him well. But he’s been a curious player for a couple years and he’s never been the easiest player to coach. Perhaps this is a perfect situation for him because there won’t be a ton of pressure since this team doesn’t have championship aspirations at the moment.”

Fan question: Why did the Mavs let Monta Ellis get away? He was playing great before the Rondo trade.

Sefko: “He was scoring great. I’m not going to say he was a great player. He has holes in his game. But the Mavericks needed his scoring. You’re right about that. I think the biggest problem with Ellis is that he was the Mavericks’ best player. And if he’s your best player, the first round of the playoffs is probably your ceiling. If he’s your third-best player, then you can talk about deep playoff runs.”

Some key Mavs still recovering from injury

With NBA training camps opening soon, preseason around the corner, and the regular season beginning in late October, some key Dallas Mavericks are coming off major surgeries. Here’s the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting:

With the NBA regular-season opener a mere 34 days away, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban isn’t sure if two of his starters will be in the opening-day starting lineup when his squad plays at Phoenix on Oct. 28.

Shooting guard Wesley Matthews underwent surgery to repair a left torn Achilles tendon on March 11 while he was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. Matthews signed a four-year, $70 million free-agent contract with the Mavericks on July 9.

Small forward Chandler Parsons had surgery on May 1 to address a cartilage injury to his right knee. Parsons signed a three-year, $46 million free-agent contract with the Mavericks in the summer of 2014.

The Mavericks are expecting both players to be leaders in their quest to help the team recapture its glory years. But will they be available for the season opener against Phoenix?

“They’re on schedule, so there’s a chance,’’ Cuban said Thursday afternoon. “But we’re not going to rush them.