Dallas Mavericks torch the Chicago Bulls

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off of a big win against the Chicago Bulls in early preseason NBA action. Here are some of the highlights.

Preseason is in full swing as the Dallas Mavericks handed a big loss to the Chicago Bulls. Dallas looked fresh and fast from the start as the players seemed to really find their rhythm in this contest. The Mavericks showed just a taste of how dangerous they can be and that should scare plenty of teams around the NBA.

The final score, 118-71 in a Mavericks blow out win. Rookie sensation Dennis Smith Jr looked as if he was more relaxed playing with the starters than he did when they played the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

That seems to go hand in hand with the rookie aspect of his game, his first game during the summer was just as slow. Tonight he was a different player who showed all of the promise that Mavericks fans have been hoping for.

Smith believes that the jitters are out but he will have to prove that again on the first night of the regular season. Still, it is incredibly promising that Smith can adjust that easily to the NBA game especially at the point guard position.

Smith was inserted in what is assumed to be the starting lineup for the regular season as he played point, Seth Curry started at shooting guard, Wesley Matthews, and Harrison Barnes played the forward positions, and finally Dirk Nowitzki in at the five. 

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The Mavericks showed off some of their talent behind the arc in this contest as several players hit big, momentum-changing shots from the three-point line. Harrison Barnes was easily the highlight player for the Mavericks as he recorded 17 points while going 6 of 8 from the field.

If Dallas is going to be successful this season, Barnes will need to be a more consistent scorer and this game should have fans feeling pretty good. He also played 26 minutes and seemed to have terrific chemistry with Smith.

While the team looked to be jelling now more than we have seen so far, the Bulls are not exactly brimming with talent. The game, for the most part, seemed to be in hand long before the final buzzer and was somewhat of a microcosm for this season.

The Bulls in the east are made up of some solid, productive players, but in the west (where it seems as if every superstar is or wants to be) teams have to have a lot of talent to survive.

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The Mavericks outclassed a team from the east but their real tests will come against the western powerhouses. Dallas does play sound, quality, basketball and the style of the team this year does seem to reflect the current climate of the western conference, Small lineups, three-point barrages, future stars, and max contract players.

The Mav’s will continue to face east coast opponents as they travel to Orlando on Thursday night.