Preseason game preview: Dallas Mavericks (3-3) at Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)
Preseason game preview: Dallas Mavericks (3-3) at Oklahoma City Thunder (3-3)
WICHITA, Kan. – There won’t be a lot of veteran leadership on the floor for the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night as they go head-to-head with the reigning Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Wichita.
Already down 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki following his arthroscopic knee surgery and center Chris Kaman as he misses his third straight exhibition game due to a strained right calf, the Mavericks (3-3) took this time to also rest the two oldest players on the roster. Not making the trip to Wichita were 35-year-old Vince Carter and 34-year-old Shawn Marion due to a scheduled rest, while their teammates face off against the squad that knocked the Mavs out of the first round of the playoffs with a four-game sweep last season.
Still, following his team’s 87-74 preseason victory at home Monday night against New Orleans, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle will be expecting a good showing even without the four veterans in the lineup.
One thing the coach will look for against the athletic Thunder (3-3) will be efficient play, after the Mavs cut down on their turnovers from 20 against Atlanta to just 10 against New Orleans two nights later. But, after the Mavs surrendered 20 offensive rebounds and lost the battle on the glass, 62-40, Carlisle admits that there needs to be more of an emphasis on claiming the ball once it comes off the rim.
“We made simpler plays. We didn’t get ourselves in the air before we made decisions and our passing was improved from the previous couple of games, so we made some moderate strides I thought and there’s still things we’ve gotta do better,” Carlisle explained. “Rebounding is challenging for us right now, and we’ve just gotta stay on that. Just gotta remind everybody we need five guys in there helping.”
Without Marion, last season’s team leader in rebounding who also snatched down 12 boards Monday night, the battle on the boards could again become an issue for the team Wednesday night. Still, in order for the Mavs to play at their desired up-tempo pace, Carlisle says even the team’s perimeter players will have to sell out to crashing the glass as the coach is forced to play varies small-ball lineups without Nowitzki and Kaman available.
“It’s pretty difficult to run unless you have the ball. You know, we’ve gotta get the ball,” Carlisle strongly said. “At times we have smaller lineups, so we should be faster than the other team. But getting it is the priority.”
“We’ve gotta help out a lot. … We’re playing a little bit small, but it doesn’t give us any excuses,” point guard Darren Collison added. “The guards like me and O.J. [Mayo], we’ve just gotta go down there and help them out.”
Meanwhile, the young Mavs will get their first look at three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant, two-time All-Star Russell Westbrook, reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden and a Thunder team that lost in five games to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. And with his squad shorthanded, Carlisle admits that slowing down the Oklahoma City lineup will be a daunting task.
“I expect them to be fast,” Carlisle simply said. “Young and fast and above the rim a lot.”
Note: The Mavericks return to action Wednesday night in Wichita, Kan. against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game will air on Fox Sports Southwest at 7 p.m. CT.
