After noting that he, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving still haven’t played a game together, Luka Dončić thought about the past week when the threesome has practiced together several times.
His analysis?
“It’s gonna be fun out there.”
Those six words should put Mavericks’ fans at ease going into Thursday’s regular-season opener against San Antonio at American Airlines Center.
It’s a game that, barring anything unforeseen, Dončić, Irving and Thompson will start alongside each other. And the long journey/chemistry project will begin.
“I think we’re practicing great. I think we’re ready,” Dončić said Tuesday after a robust workout in which every Maverick participated, save for Dante Exum, who is out after wrist surgery.
“We got to show every day what kind of players we are, what we’re working for. Our mission is to set the tone early and (make sure) people know we’re there. We’re not joking around. One thing: we got to play hard. That’s it.”
Luka remembers last season when the Mavericks were a pedestrian 26-23 five days before they made the trades for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. After that, the team took off, all the way to the NBA Finals.
In 2022-23, they were under .500 (15-16) a few days before Christmas. That season never caught fire after trading for Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks would like to make a statement early this season.
“We talk about health, we talk about competing,” coach Jason Kidd said. “The competition is high here at practice. To see the carryover from what we talk about in film (sessions). Now can we carry it over to the games?
“Four our group, it’s about being able to execute. Practices have been good since Luka got back. Hopefully we can play like we’ve been practicing.”
Dončić suffered a left calf contusion the first day of camp in Las Vegas. He didn’t play any of the four preseason games and was held out of all practices until last week.
He said on Tuesday that the injury is well-healed.
“It (didn’t) hurt a lot, but you got to get it healed,” he said. “It’s fine now. It’s perfect. I’m practicing everything.”
Asked if he lost precious opportunities to gain some chemistry with Thompson, he said: “Probably. The games are always different than practices. So we’ll see on Thursday. I’m sure there’s going to be some excitement.”
Of that, there’s no doubt.
But Kidd said that the last four or five practice sessions, all of which Dončić took part in fully, have looked very solid, in addition to being ultra-competitive.
“There’s no other Luka here,” Kidd said. “He’s the Luka we’ve seen for the last couple years. The things he does on the floor at both ends – I think he’s made a conscious effort on the defensive end. He’s doing that at a high level. And offensively, the problems he causes – it looks good. The starting unit looks good. There’s going to be a feeling (out) period with that group. It’s going to take a little time, but so far, everybody looks good.”
Not that it’s going to be a well-oiled machine from the tipoff (6:30 p.m.) against the Spurs on Thursday.
That’s not the point of this season. While the Mavericks want to start fast, they would rather finish fast.
And that means developing a rapport with Thompson.
“That’s going to come later in games,” Luka said. “There’s not much to adjust to (for me). If he’s open, he’s going to knock it down. It’s Klay Thompson, one of the greatest shooters ever.”
Just like Dončić does just about everything well.
Kidd has made a point several times through training camp that last season’s success doesn’t mean a thing now. And he’s right.
But Luka said that remembering the pain of coming up short in the Finals can be a useful motivation for the Mavericks.
“Why not look back?” he said. “Looking back, we know how hard it is. It’s very important to have this (championship) mentality from the beginning.”
And Kidd knows that will not be a question – at least not where Dončić is concerned.
“He’s one of the best if not the best in the world,” Kidd said. “For him, it’s about improving from what he did last year, which is a pretty high bar, but one that he’s set and we believe he’s going to achieve those same numbers, if not better.
“His motivation is always high. He’s a competitor. He wants to win. Like every other season, he wants to win a championship.”
Hardy receives extension: The Mavericks announced Tuesday evening that they agreed to a multiyear contract extension with guard Jaden Hardy.
Hardy is entering his third season after averaging 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists through a career-high 73 games, including seven starts, in 2023-24. The 6-4 guard recorded three games with at least seven assists. On Jan. 5, 2024 against Portland, Hardy produced 19 points, a career-high nine rebounds and a career-high nine assists.
In his rookie season, Hardy averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 48 games. He recorded five 25-point games as a rookie, the second-most by a Maverick before turning 21 years old (Luka Dončić, 57).
The 22-year-old Detroit native played one year for the G League Ignite before being selected with the 37th overall by Sacramento in the 2022 NBA Draft and traded to the Mavericks on draft night.
X: @ESefko
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