Mavs Game Preview: Preseason vs Bucks
Searching for consistency, defensive answers, and a few more Lively moments
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 keep the same note-taking format to highlight the main storylines heading into and coming out of each game.
This is the Mavericks' final preseason game, so I’ll keep things short. The previous three games have shown just how unpredictable preseason lineups can be, with stars and key rotation players often seeing limited minutes or sitting out entirely.
After this, we’ll have a full week until the season opener against the Spurs—expect a detailed, in-depth preview for that one.
Today’s Notes:
Getting any consistency
New point of attack defense in action against Dame
Can we get a couple of Lively vs Giannis matchups?
Bonus nuggets: Dinwiddie showing up and O-Max out of rotation?
Let’s dig in!
1-Getting any consistency
The Mavericks finally had a practice with all their major stars, including Luka Dončić, participating. However, they won’t be getting the full dress rehearsal they hoped for, as Dončić is likely to sit out against the Bucks. That said, if Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson do play, the focus should be on getting some minutes with rotations and roles that will be closer to what we’ll see when the regular season begins.
P.J. Washington’s return gave us a glimpse of the starting frontcourt against the Clippers, but the backcourt remains inconsistent. While starting Jazian Gortman and Jaden Hardy was a fun experiment, getting Thompson more reps and rhythm with Irving and the rest of the starting group would be more beneficial at this stage.
2-New point of attack defense in action against Dame
The Mavericks lost their primary on-ball defenders, Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Green, in their summer roster makeover, and Dante Exum for an extended time due to injury. In the first three preseason games, we haven’t seen their replacements—Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, or even Thompson—matched up much against elite ball handlers. The Jazz didn’t have one, and while the Grizzlies and Clippers started Ja Morant and James Harden respectively, their minutes were mostly matched up against Hardy, Gortman, and Spencer Dinwiddie.
The Bucks will be missing Khris Middleton, but they’ve given their other starters—Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Prince, Trent Jr., and Lillard—enough minutes in the previous two games that we could finally see some of the Mavericks' ‘stoppers’ trying to contain Damian Lillard in pick-and-roll actions with Giannis Antetokounmpo or Brook Lopez. Point-of-attack defense is one of the biggest question marks heading into the season, so just like integrating Thompson on offense, getting any reps with defenders in their primary roles on defense will be a big plus.
3-Can we get a couple of Lively vs Giannis matchups?
Seeing Dereck Lively II match up against Antetokounmpo, even for just a few possessions, would make this game worthwhile. Last season, Lively missed one of the two games against the Bucks and only matched up against the Greek Freak on a couple of possessions (six according to tracking data to be exact) in the other, with Grant Williams and Maxi Kleber shouldering the majority of that tough load. I expect Washington will get the initial assignment to bang with Giannis, and that matchup will be fun to watch as well, but I can’t help getting excited about seeing two long, freakish athletes like Lively and Antetokounmpo go head-to-head.
Yes, it’s a preseason game, but the two-time MVP only knows one way to play—hard. Antetokounmpo has averaged 22 points in 22 minutes across two preseason games, or 37 points per 36 minutes, so the Mavericks’ big men better be ready.
Bonus nuggets:
Will Spencer Dinwiddie show more? The veteran is averaging just 5.7 points on 26 percent shooting through three preseason games. His passive play, especially compared to Hardy's aggressive style, has made the battle for the backup ball-handler spot look one-sided so far.
O-Max rotation spot: After logging over 30 minutes in the first two preseason games, Olivier-Maxence Prosper played just nine minutes in the last one against the Clippers. With Gafford, Marshall, Grimes, Hardy, and Dinwiddie seemingly ahead of him in the rotation pecking order, it looks like, once again, finding consistent minutes will be tough for the 22-year-old Canadian.