Mavs Game Observations: Preseason vs Clippers

Another battle lost, but small wins will be remembered

Photo by Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Throughout the season, I’ll be doing game previews and game observations—similar to what I did for all games last season on Twitter. I’ll aim to keep the same note-taking format (especially for preseason games, where the goal is to focus on storylines that matter once real games begin, rather than detailed breakdowns). My goal is to have these observations from the previous night’s game delivered straight to your inbox the next morning.

You can find all game previews and observations in the dedicated 2024-25 Game Coverage section of the digginbasketball website.

Here are my observations from the third preseason game, a 107-102 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers.

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Today’s notes:

1. No Luka, no Kyrie, no order

2. Hello Quentin Grimes

3. Welcome back P.J. Washington

Bonus short notes on: Jaden Hardy, last two-way spot, Lively’s hook shot, and those damn back screens

Let’s dig in!

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1-No Luka, no Kyrie, no order

OK, maybe "no order" sounds a bit harsh, but then again, probably not, considering the 29 turnovers—or a 27 percent turnover rate (yes, I’m talking in four-factor terms again). Without Dončić and Irving, everyone had to move two steps up on the ball-handling totem pole, and as a result, every single Maverick struggled against the aggressive Clippers perimeter defense I warned about in my preview.

Guards Hardy (5 TOV), Thompson (4 TOV) Dinwiddie, Grimes (4 TOV) and Gortman are all score-first players and showed flashes creating for themselves (more on that in the next points), but not for others. Playmaking wings, P.J. Washington (3 TOV) and Naji Marshall (2 TOV), tried to create for others and had extended on-ball opportunities, but their handles were far too loose to justify that role in this game.

Thompson (0-for-9 FG) struggled the most in an offense that didn’t generate enough easy shots to help him find his rhythm. Despite that, the Clippers still respected his gravity, often showing two defenders, with Zubac, on his hand-offs and pick actions. The issues were obvious but also understandable, given the absence of two key creators and the lack of rotation chemistry this early in the preseason.

Because of that, it’s hard to get frustrated with preseason results. Instead, it’s about looking for positive signs that could become more meaningful when the rotation is back to normal. And there were plenty of positives—let’s start with the first one.

2-Hello Quentin Grimes

After going 1-for-6 from three in his first two preseason games, Grimes had a breakout performance in this one, scoring 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting. As great as it is to see Grimes hitting his shots, the key difference between him and his predecessor, Josh Green, is Grimes' willingness to shoot the three at a high volume, regardless of the result (something I highlighted in his Player Profile).

Last night, Grimes showed he’s a different level shooter compared to most of the Mavericks' previous 3-and-D players. He looked comfortable shooting on the move, off away screening actions, or quickly letting it fly as soon as defenders went under a screen. Grimes even showed some juice as a ball handler in pick-and-roll, creating a lob for Gafford and setting up an open corner three. Like others, he eventually ended up trying to do too much on the ball (4 turnovers), but if this healthy and confident version of Grimes persists, the Mavs have secured another important low-key offseason addition for the second year in a row.

3-Welcome back P.J. Washington

After the previous game, I noted how much the Mavericks missed Washington’s size and length as a secondary rim protector and rebounder. While the 6-foot-7 forward struggled with his handle and increased on-ball reps in his first game back, he showed no signs of rust on the defensive end. This back-to-back sequence in the second quarter perfectly showcased that:

Washington disrupted a Zubac lob dunk attempt at the rim as a weakside help defender, grabbed a contested rebound on a putback, and then took it coast-to-coast, finishing with a thunderous two-handed dunk in transition.

Welcome back P.J.!

Bonus short notes:

• Jaden Hardy: He had an impressive showing as a three-level scorer, putting up 16 points with a mix of drives, mid-range shots, and pull-ups from three. He played with more patience and deliberation in pick-and-roll, but like others, struggled with turnovers against the Clippers' relentless defense.

• Jazian Gortman: Another "no fear," microwave-scoring guard. He dropped 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the second quarter—another strong performance that adds pressure on Brandon Williams, who made his preseason debut, in the battle for the last two-way spot.

• Dereck Lively II: Preseason is all about small signals and minor victories. And we can call it that every time Lively scores on a post-up, like he did in the fourth quarter with a sweet turnaround hook shot over Kai Jones.

• Problems at the back: Yes, it’s preseason. Yes, starting guards Hardy and Gortman are inexperienced and have almost no defensive chemistry with the starters. But the number of times the Mavericks gave up lobs, layups, and open threes on back screens and away actions was concerning, even for a preseason game.