Dallas Mavericks: A concerning win over the Orlando Magic?

The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Orlando Magic on Monday night but that win has led to more questions than answers. Here are some reactions to the game.

The Dallas Mavericks got another preseason victory on Monday against the Orlando Magic but it leaves us with more questions than answers. The Orlando magic essentially rested all of their starters and the Mavericks barely came out on top but is there a reason to worry?

The game itself was pretty straightforward, a close contest throughout but it was clear that Dallas had their prominent talent on the court. All of the Dallas Mavericks players were dressed except for Seth Curry, Josh McRoberts, Johnathan Motley, and Jeff Withey.

Curry should be back in the lineup after the beginning of the regular season as he is assumed to be out for about a week and a half. Out of all of the starters, rookie Dennis Smith Jr had the most productive game on the court.

He recorded 16 points, 7seven assists, six rebounds, in 26 minutes which just shows that he is trending upward after having a slow start to the preseason. He seemed to still be developing chemistry with the Maverick’s big men but was adept at driving to the basket.

If he continues to improve he will certainly be a candidate for rookie of the year. Dirk Nowitzki continued to show strong play with his limited time on the court. He would go 4 for 7 from the court ending with 10 points.

He was fifty percent from behind the arc and also recorded a block and six rebounds and was only on the court for 21 minutes. Dirk was able to give the Magic’s starting center problems all night long.

He held the Magic’s big man, Nikola Vucevic to 4 for 13 shooting on the night. Dirk may not be as dangerous as he once was offensively but continues to show strong defensive performances. 

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One of the bigger surprises of the night came from veteran center, Salah Mejri who led the team in rebounds after accumulating nine during the contest. This bodes well for the vet who could be looking at an expanded role this season if he continues to produce.

J.J. Barea also managed to turn some heads as he showed the veteran abilities that made the Dallas Mavericks sign him in the first place. He had eight points in nine minutes and showed a ton of chemistry with forward/center Nerlens Noel.

This could be a pretty big factor going forward as DSJ has still been improving his court vision and chemistry with the roster. It could also mean that Noel will be coming off of the bench with Barea as the Mavericks do not want to add him to the starting lineup.

Two of the Dallas Mavericks most important pieces, Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews struggled a bit during the contest. Particularly Matthews who still has trouble shooting the three ball and desperately needs to work on his shot selection.

Barnes was on the floor for 24 minutes and only managed 14 points. This is preseason so these are not necessarily things to get worried about just yet but they are worth keeping an eye on.

Next: Dallas Mavericks assessing the logjam in the front court

The Mavericks would win the game 99-96 but the starters did not seem to perform as expected against the Magic’s backups. The Mavericks are going to have to find out who they can rely on offensively besides their young rookie in order to put some points on the board.