NBA coaches often have varying goals in the preseason. For some, it’s about building chemistry with a new team, perhaps learning new plays, players and tendencies. Other teams use exhibition games for conditioning purposes.
For Coach Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks, who return much of the same team that went to the Western Conference Finals last year, there isn’t too much to learn. And with just three preseason games on the slate for Dallas, there isn’t much time either. So Coach Kidd decided to use Wednesday’s preseason opener to get some of the guys just trying to make the team some extended run.
The result was an outstanding performance from rookie second round pick Jaden Hardy, whose second half flurry pushed the Mavs to a 98-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
After the game, J-Kidd praised the work ethic of the 20-year-old who played for G-League Ignite last season.
“It shows the work that he has put in since summer league,” Kidd said. “He spends a lot of time in the gym. He’s coming back at night, he’s working — not just on the floor — but watching video. He wants to be good, he wants to play, he wants to participate, and again you can see that in tonight’s game.”
Having the preseason opener on the road meant leaving several of his rotation players at home for J-Kidd. Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber did not travel with the team, and JaVale McGee and Davis Bertans were both held out of the lineup despite making the trip. One player who did see a decent bit of action was newcomer Christian Wood. The big man, acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets this summer, played a team high 25 minutes and, after a slow start, finished with 16 points on 7-of-13 from the field to go along with 13 rebounds. Wood, who logged 33 double doubles in 67 games last year, was thankful that Coach Kidd gave him ample time to shake off the summer rust and find his rhythm.
“I tried not to force things,” he said. “This is all so new to me, so I’m just trying to figure out where to be offensively with these new guys. It took me awhile to get in rhythm, but once I found a rhythm thank God coach Kidd let me play a little bit more than I was supposed to today.”
Hardy and Wood both came off the bench for Dallas. The starting five was filled with more familiar faces to Mavs fans: Spencer Dinwiddie, Josh Green, Reggie Bullock, Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell, all contributors to last year’s title run, which made it easier for Coach Kidd to rollout a rotation that didn’t have key contributors like Doncic, Kleber, Hardaway and McGee.
“Some of those [guys] did work this morning at practice,” Jason said. “LD being one of those guys that got some work. It’s not an off day for those guys. A lot of good stuff this morning for those guys who didn’t make it, but then the walk-through was great. JaVale actually worked out. He twisted his ankle in practice (Monday), but he felt better today, so we gave him some work and then he’ll do some work tomorrow and hopefully he’ll be able to play on Friday.”
Despite the absence of starters, Dallas came out strong in the opening frame, they got the ball inside to Dwight Powell and he tallied seven points. He also grabbed four rebounds and two steals. But thanks to seven turnovers by the Mavs in the first quarter alone, OKC hung in and the lead was just 28-26 after one.
“I like the way we started the game,” Coach Kidd said. “Sometimes it’s better to get the turnovers out in preseason.”
Dallas’ key rotational players continued to see the bulk of the action in the second quarter, and the Mavs held the lead for all but a few moments, but were up just one, 53-52 at halftime.
The third quarter, however, was dominated by the Thunder, who not only grabbed the lead, but pushed it as high as 10 points. That development was despite a huge quarter from Wood, who played the whole quarter, scored 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field and also grabbed six rebounds. However, only three others Mavs players scored in the third, totaling eight points between them.
Dallas did, however, make a run at the end of the frame, cutting OKC’s lead down to just two points entering the fourth quarter.
The fourth frame belonged to Hardy, but he wasn’t alone. The player who helped Dallas stay ahead late in the first frame, keep it close in the third and facilitated a fourth quarter comeback was McKinley Wright IV. Wright had six quick points at the end of the first, tallied three assists in the final few minutes of the third and added five more dimes in the fourth, finishing the night with a team-high 10.
The 23-year-old Wright went undrafted last summer, played with the Timberwolves last year and the Suns in Summer League this year before signing with the Mavs last month. Dallas liked his skills as a playmaker and he delivered them on Wednesday. After the game, Wright pointed to the principles imparted by Coach Kidd for his strong performance in his first action with the Mavs.
“Coach had been harping all training camp and practice about how important it is to take care of the ball,” Wright said. “They brought me here and they want to see me get others involved and get in the paint and create for others, and I think that’s what I’m best at.”
Four of Wright’s five assists in the fourth went to Hardy, who scored 13 of Dallas’ final 15 points over the final five minutes of the game. Afterward, Coach Kidd complimented the closing group for bringing the effort, energy and skill they show in practice into a game.
“I like the way that group ended the game. As much as we practice – and they compete in practice — everybody is competing to win,” he said. “I thought that group at the end did a really, really good job.”
The Mavs will be back in action for the second of just three preseason games on Friday when they host the Orlando Magic at American Airlines Center. Doncic and other starters are expected to see at least some playing time in what may be a finale tune-up for their October 19 regular season opener in Phoenix. Asked on Wednesday if having fewer preseason games is helpful, Coach Kidd acknowledged the pros and cons.
“I don’t know if it’s an advantage,” he said. “It’s whatever the organization and coach wants to do. Oklahoma City, being a young team, I don’t think it’s anything wrong with playing six games to work on things before the season starts and to look at them in different combinations. We have a core group coming back from last season, and a couple of new faces. But three or six, you still got to play them.”
Tip-off from Dallas on Friday night is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time and the game can be seen on Bally Sports Southwest-Dallas.