Preseason game preview/Shootaround Report: Dallas Mavericks (2-2) at Atlanta Hawks (2-3)
Preseason game preview/Shootaround Report: Dallas Mavericks (2-2) at Atlanta Hawks (2-3)
ATLANTA – With his team virtually decimated by injuries this preseason but still managing to go 2-2 through its first four preseason contests, Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle entered Philips Arena preaching the positives to his players at their Saturday morning shootaround.
Before facing the Atlanta Hawks in an exhibition showdown Saturday evening, Carlisle continued to take a glass-half-full approach despite the fact that 24 hours prior the Mavericks were announcing that 11-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki would be sidelined for approximately six weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
Seeing Nowitzki’s lengthy time away from the team as an opportunity for the Mavs’ unsung heroes to step up, the coach figures to give budding stars like 25-year-old Brandan Wright and rookie Jae Crowder more time this preseason to show what they’re capable of before the games actually begin counting in the standings. And it’s that positivity that has permeated through the entire Dallas roster.
“We’ve gotta move forward with the guys we’ve got,” Carlisle explained after his team’s walkthrough. “The game’s gonna be all about pace, continuous movement and efficiency. … Our whole team has gotta step up, it’s not just gonna be one guy. It’s not dumping it into [Elton] Brand’s lap and saying, 'Hey, go put up numbers to make up for a loss of a top 10 player.' That can’t be what it’s about. But, collectively, we’ve gotta have a team of go-to guys. That’s it.”
“It’s something we’ve kind of been expecting. You know, we knew it was a possibility this whole time and we’ve just gotta ride it out,” Wright added. “We’ve got guys that need to step up, myself included, and we’ve just gotta keep the train rolling. … It’s tough, man. Six weeks, that’s a lot of games, so we’ve gotta play hard, we’ve gotta lift our level and we’ve gotta get some guys stepping up. We’ve gotta focus more and we’ve just gotta stay healthy with everybody else.”
The Mavs hope their positive thinking translates to a win Saturday night, when the squad will not only be minus Nowitzki but also fellow 7-footer Chris Kaman after he remained in Dallas to be treated for a right calf strain. And with two projected starters on the frontline absent from Carlisle's rotation, the head coach admits that the Mavs will have to play an unorthodox brand of basketball in order to be successful.
However, with fourth-year guard Rodrigue Beaubois expected to see his first game action since spraining his left ankle in the preseason opener against ALBA Berlin on Oct. 6, the Mavs should still have plenty of firepower to steam through the Hawks Saturday night.
“We’ll be more of a slashing team, not as much spacing, but we’ve gotta use that to our advantage – athletic ability, cutting hard, getting to the rim,” Wright foreshadowed.
“We know we’ve gotta play hard,” Carlisle continued. “We know we’ve gotta affect the game for 94 feet on the defensive end. But, you know, we’ve gotta also play smart and we’ve gotta play within our system. And so, a lot of it is geared towards playing in a freelance dimension with some perimeters, but then, when it gets time for us to execute, we’re gonna have to run things and execute.”
Note: The Mavericks return to action Saturday night in a road exhibition showdown against the Atlanta Hawks. The game will air on TXA 21 at 6 p.m. CT.
