The Mavericks’ Fan Jam open practice will be Sunday at American Airlines Center.
It’s a great opportunity for fans to get an informal look at the new team with Klay Thompson joining Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić, although he won’t take part in the scrimmage as he rests a left calf contusion.
But Fan Jam, presented by ShiftKey, is still a fun day for players and fans alike, and having Thompson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes hit the court for the first time as Mavericks will be interesting.
Doors open at 11:15 for entertainment and giveaways. The Mavericks will take the court around noon. There is free parking and admission is free.
Seeing the new players will provide a layer of excitement.
But one of the old heads – in fact, the oldest head the Mavericks have – will be starting a new season with big hopes.
Dwight Powell, entering his 11th season, almost all of it with the Mavericks, has seen the Mavericks at their worst when they missed the playoffs. And he’s now seen them reach the NBA Finals and has supreme hope that they can finish the deal this season.
“I’ve been here for quite some time and I think each season we are carrying over to the next season,” Powell said. “We learn a lot, and I think we’re evolving in a lot of ways, trying to improve and find ways to win a championship.”
And the addition of Thompson has invigorated an already high-energy organization.
“I was excited, for sure,” Powell said about the acquisition of Thompson. “I mean, one of the great shooters of our generation for sure. And one of the great shooters the game has ever seen.
“So naturally, you start going down the thought pattern of imagining what it will be like and seeing certain situations, with Luka and Kai to create the gravity. There will be a lot of amazing opportunities for him to be extremely successful.”
And, by extension, the Mavericks. Besides the shooting, it’s the expertise Thompson brings.
“I think most importantly, he knows how to win,” Powell said. “He knows how to play the game the right way. And it’s going to create a lethal weapon on the court that’s going to create even more space.”
“X’s and O’s, I think it speaks for itself. We’re going to have to figure this thing out together. But we’re very excited with this group.”
It comes after a summer when Powell had a big run with the Canadian national team in the Olympics. While they didn’t medal, Powell said it was nothing short of a major accomplishment.
“It’s really an honor,” he said. “For me, that was a dream of mine – to play in the Olympics.
“So to be able to finally get there was extremely special, definitely a bucket list thing for me.”
X: @ESefko
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