After bouncing around the NBA in recent years like a proverbial basketball, Marquese Chriss just wants to find
a place he can call home.
And there’s a chance he may have found it with the Dallas Mavericks.
Since February of 2019, Chriss has been with the Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors (twice), San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. And now the 6-9, 240-pound forward is on his second 10-day contract with the Mavs under the COVID-related hardship allowance.
It appeared as though Chriss was going to stick with the Warriors after they signed him to a two-way contract on Jan. 15, 2020 and later converted it to a two-year contract. But he suffered a season-ending fractured right leg on Dec. 26, 2020, and brief stops with the Spurs and Blazers after that didn’t amount to much.
From there, Mavs general manager Nico Harrison signed Chriss to a 10-day contract on Dec. 21 and to a second 10-day deal Friday after he showed promising signs of being a possible long-term keeper. Either way, from a personal standpoint, Chriss knows he’s under immense pressure to produce almost every time to steps on the court for the Mavs.
“I’ll be lying if I said I didn’t feel like there’s any pressure, but you know at the end of the day I’m doing what I love and I get to be able to play basketball again,” Chriss said following Sunday’s 95-86 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder. “Truthfully, it’s been a really long year as far as just coming back from an injury.
“Being able to be back on the court, I’m just thankful for that. And I’m just trying to make the most out of the opportunity that I can. Hopefully it’s here.”
Many Mavs followers have that same hope. Especially since Chriss poured in 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and was three-of-three from three-point range while playing only 14 highly productive minutes off the bench against the Thunder.
“Chriss has been great for us,” coach Jason Kidd said. “Tonight, again he was positive.”
So positive that Kidd knows the Mavs’ decision-makers will have to think long and hard about who to keep and who to let go once they have to trim their roster this season. Particularly since entering Sunday’s contest, Chriss was averaging 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds and shooting a robust 60 percent from the field while playing just 13.6 minutes per contest in five games for the Mavs.
“We’ve got centers, Kidd said. “That’s one thing we have. I don’t know how I can play them all, but (Chriss is) going to make it tough.
“I think (owner Mark) Cuban said this a while back that we’re going to have decisions to make about our roster.”
Sunday was Chriss’ first time playing with Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. because the latter three missed the previous 10, six and six games, respectively, while in the health and safety protocols. And he seemed to get along swimmingly while he was on the court with them.
“At the end of the day it’s basketball, and I’ve had a chance to play against most of them,” Chriss said. “So, (I was) just kind of figuring out how they want to play, finding where I fit in the team’s scheme as far as when they’re on the floor.
“And I think (I was) just playing hard and trying to make the right play and not doing too much and understanding that we’re going to play through those guys and finding my opportunities when I can.”
As a side note, Chriss said he and Doncic didn’t talk about the dustup they had in the third quarter of the Mavs’ 141-121 blowout win on the Warriors’ court on Dec. 28, 2019. Doncic and Chriss were fighting for a loose ball, and Chriss took exception and shoved Doncic into the stands.
Doncic jumped right up and got into the face of Chriss, who was assessed a technical foul after the two were separated by the referees.
Over two years later, Chriss said: “We don’t really even talk about t. It’s in the past. It is what it is, and I respect him because he’s a competitor. And I think that’s all that it was – just two competitors going at it.
“But I love being on the floor with him, I love the way he played (Sunday), getting everybody involved and distributing the ball was amazing.”
Doncic distributed the ball to Chriss for a dunk in the second quarter, and again for a pair of three-pointers in the fourth quarter that put the Mavs up, 81-68, with nine minutes remaining in the game.
Asked about playing with Doncic, Chriss said: “Just playing with somebody that loves to pass the basketball is easy. All you’ve got to do is get yourself open, and like I said, just make the most out of the opportunities that you get.
“He’s finding people all over the court in whatever position they are. My role is just to play hard and set screens and roll. So when I get the ball, like I said, I’m just going to try to make the most out of it, knock down my shots like I did today, or just keep it moving to the next guy, and just keep the energy flowing.”
Chriss, 24, played one year of college basketball at Washington before the Phoenix Suns made him the eighth overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. He played in all 82 games as a rookie – starting 75 – and averaged 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 21.3 minutes and was named to the All-Rookie Second Team.
But the Suns traded Chriss to the Rockets on Aug. 31, 2018, and Houston subsequently traded him to Cleveland less than six months later. The Mavs, however, believe they’ve discovered a diamond who has a lot of raw potential, as evidenced by the eight points and seven rebounds Chriss contributed in 18 minutes last Friday against the Sacramento Kings.
“I thought Marquese did a great job not playing in Game 1 in Sacramento (last Wednesday), then coming back in Game 2 (on Friday) and having an impact,” Kidd said. “It just shows that he’s been ready.”
And ready to find a stable home somewhere in the NBA.
KIDD WAS KIDDING: Jason Kidd acknowledged that he was just kidding around when he said before last Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings: “We’re trying to figure out if I’m eligible to play tonight.”
If Kidd would have suited up and played against the Kings, he would have joined the likes of Bill Russell, Lenny Wilkens and Dave Cowens as those who simultaneously coached and played for the NBA team of which they were employed.
Cowens was the last to pull those double duties when he averaged 16.6 points and 9.6 rebounds while also coaching the Celtics to a 29-53 record during 1978-79.
Kidd jokingly said: “Only if we only had seven players and then needed one more” to make it eight players for a team to qualify to play under NBA rules, he would have considered suiting up against the Kings.
“But I’m not coming back to play,” Kidd said. “It was just a joke.
“I was really joking because we had two guys wear No. 2. So I thought I would try to put it on again to see how it would work.”
Kidd wore the No. 2 jersey when the Mavs captured the 2011 NBA title. Isaiah Thomas, who signed a 10-day contract with the Mavs last Wednesday and entered the health and safety protocol this past Thursday, also wore No. 2 for Dallas.
By the way, Kidd, 48, last played in the NBA for the New York Knicks during the 2012-13
BRIEFLY: OKC point guard Josh Giddey became the youngest player in NBA history to register a triple-double when he finished Sunday’s game with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists. The previous youngest player was Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball, who was 19 years and 140 days old when he picked up his first triple-double. No. 3 on that list is Markelle Fultz (19 years, 317 days old) and No. 4 is Luka Doncic (19 years, 327 days old). . .The Mavs outscored the Thunder in fast break points, 14-4.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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