The Mavericks are heading into the new NBA season with lots of unknowns, but at least they got a big dose of good news on Monday.
Luka Dončić, who has been battling a calf strain, returned to practice, as did Jaden Hardy (ankle) and while coach Jason Kidd took a cautious approach to the likelihood of either player being ready for Wednesday’s season-opener at San Antonio, the vibes were very good.
“Luka went through practice today,” Kidd said. “The plan is for him to practice again tomorrow and we’ll see how he feels. And Hardy was a full participant in practice as well. So those two look good.”
The key to remember for both the Mavericks and fans is that the opener is merely a first step in a long marathon. Whether or not Luka or Hardy are cleared for the opener won’t be the ultimate difference-maker in how this season goes.
But this is an opener that is filled with intrigue, if for no other reason than the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, will be making his NBA debut. The hype around Wemby has reached impressive heights around the league. It’s also going to be a debut for Mavericks’ center Dereck Lively II and will feature a new starting small forward, possibly Josh Green.
But Kidd said the roles of many Mavericks remain to be determined. In particular, the small-forward spot (if positions are still a thing) could be a committee-style situation.
“We’ll look at the matchups and we’ll go from there,” Kidd said. “And also it could be, early on, where that position could be (fluid) a little bit.”
But there are lots of opportunities for players heading into the season. The rotation is certainly going to be a work in progress.
“Some of them know their roles, it’s easy,” Kidd said. “Some of them on the fringes, with the new faces, you have to kind of see what they can handle. So as the weeks go on here early, we’ll find out who can do what and who can handle certain situations and then we’ll start to define their role.
“It’s hard to do that in the preseason with all the different combinations and all the new faces we have right now. But I think as we get through the first 10, roles will be pretty much defined. And that all goes with everyone being healthy.”
In that respect, it was important for Luka to have the last half of the preseason to rest his calf. While it cut down on his time to mesh with Kyrie Irving in the backcourt, health overrides everything in the infancy of the season.
And while the practices have been a mix-and-match proposition with Luka and Hardy nursing aches and pains, the Mavericks know the season waits for nobody.
“We’re ready,” said Maxi Kleber, who figures to be one of the first big men off the bench. “At the end of the day, it’s going to be a long season regardless. So you got to live with that. You have what you have sometimes. Somebody has a little injury and he’s not able to practice, we just got to figure out how to come together as a team regardless. So you got to be prepared for it.”
A new X-factor? Kidd has volunteered a perhaps-under-the-radar name on several occasions during camp as a player who figures to play a strong role.
Derrick Jones Jr.
The athletic veteran is entering his eighth season and while he’s posted only modest numbers in his career, he had a couple of impactful seasons a couple seasons back with Portland and Miami.
On Monday, when Kidd was asked about the Mavericks’ goal of playing faster, here’s what he had to say:
“Talking to Luka this summer, he was all for it. We got to take the ball out fast. His ability throw a full-court pass and throw-aheads and also it just takes off the pounding of him being picked up full court and being hounded.
“So now we have Kai and Josh and Derrick out there, guys who can get out and run and put the ball on the floor. It helps us because it’s a numbers game. If we’re playing four-on-four and playing faster, the offense always has the advantage.”
Just reading the tea leaves, but it sounds like Jones will have a role in the rotation as the season begins.
Green signed to rookie-scale extension: The Mavericks on Monday signed fourth-year swingman Josh Green to a multiyear contract extension.
The 6-6 swingman had a strong third season in 2022-23, averaging 9.1 points and 3 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game. He also shot 40.2 percent from three-point range.
“We have seen Josh work extremely hard over his time with the Mavericks to become an impactful player on both ends of the floor,” Mavericks general manager and VP of Basketball Operations Nico Harrison said. “His energy is contagious for our group and when he’s in the game, he pushes his teammates to play at a different speed.
“Josh is a high-level person and teammate, and we are happy to have him with our program for the long term.”
The Australian native played for his national team this summer in the FIBA World Cup.
X: @ESefko
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