Think of the Mavericks as a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle.
Now, think of them having only the corners and a few edges put together.
That’s about where they are.
But nothing else fits if you don’t start somewhere.
And getting Luka Dončić comfortable ain’t a bad place to start.
With a couple of key new teammates in Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, and a bunch of old ones, the Mavericks’ superstar point guard breezed through training camp and looked quite comfortable when it came to distributing the ball and getting his teammates involved, something that the Mavericks expect Luka to be even better at this season, his fifth in the NBA.
“Some guys have been with him from the start and that helps,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We have some new pieces and C-Wood is going to have to get used to him. Reggie (Bullock), it took him a couple weeks, or months to figure him out. Our shooters understand that he’s a late passer, so you have to be ready. I think it’s just a matter of continuity with Luka. When you look at continuity, it’s going to be huge for him because he’s only 23.”
What, exactly, is a late-passer? Kidd explained that it’s Luka’s ability to push the defense to its limit, wait until the last second and then find his open teammates when the double-teams converge.
“He’s 6-8 and he has the ability to hold it longer than most guards can,” Kidd said. “The next one close to him is LeBron. You talk about late passing, behind the head, the flick passes when he might be in trouble or stuck, he can bail himself out. It lends to continuity as a quarterback knowing where your receivers are.”
And the receivers know the critical importance of being where they are supposed to be.
“You got to be shot-ready, quick trigger, ready to fire that thing off,” said Tim Hardaway Jr. after he quick-triggered five 3-pointers, making four, in the 115-101 win at Utah Friday to close out the preseason.
“For the most part, you’ll know, you’ll find out, when and where you’re going to receive the ball and the spots you’re supposed to be at to help him out and making his job a lot easier while you’re on the floor. It’ll take time, but not a lot of time.”
The 6-9 Wood already has learned that, when he’s stretching the floor out on the perimeter, being ready for the unexpected pass from Dončić is a priority.
“It’s definitely knowing where to be with him, because they mix in double teams on top and at the post,” Wood said. “And it’s finding the open space so he can find you – and he’s going to find you every single time.”
While Dončić’s greatness is undisputed, he does have a symbiotic relationship with the shooters around them. He has to know they will be where they are supposed to be or the split-second passing decisions go flying toward the third row of seats.
That’s part of the process for this season – making teammates better than they were last season. With the continuity built up over the last year and sometimes longer with teammates, that improvement should come naturally.
Sixth-man talk: Wood is settling in to his role coming off the bench and he’s not shy about the preseason talk of him as an early sixth-man of the year candidate.
Asked how he’s adjusting, Wood said: “Really well. These guys and the coaches are trusting me to defend and be a scorer off the bench. (Against Utah), I was making an emphasis on the defensive end, being on the help side. I wasn’t really looking for my shot as much.”
So, should the sixth-man of the year campaign begin now?
“I guess,” he said. “We’ll see. I’m confident though.”
Wood knows that coming off the bench for the Mavericks is not seen as a sign that he’s a bench player. Kidd always looks for the best combinations.
“We’re a deep team,” Wood said. “We have a lot to work on, obviously. But we’re going to be a deep team – a scary team, at that.”
Wood said the defensive assignment he got in Utah actually meant more to him than anything he did on the offensive end.
“There was a time in the third quarter when they put me on Nickeil (Alexander-Walker) and the fact that they trust me to guard like that speaks volumes that I’m getting better defensively.”
Briefly: The Mavericks did some roster housekeeping by converting McKinley Wright IV to a two-way contract, then signing (and subsequently waiving) Grant Riller, who likely will join the Texas Legends if he is not picked up by another NBA team. The roster stands at 16, two of whom (Wright and Tyler Dorsey) are on two-way deals . . . The Mavericks will practice Sunday and Monday before leaving on Tuesday to Phoenix for Wednesday’s season opener . . . Jason Kidd on the advancements made by rookie Jaden Hardy from summer league to the doorstep of his first regular season: “Hardy’s done an incredible job since summer league. He didn’t take a vacation during the middle of the summer. He stayed in the gym and that hard work is paying off. He’s done everything we’ve asked. Right now, he’s just on the outside looking in on the rotation but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to get a chance to play.”
Twitter: @ESefko
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