On To San Antonio For The Dallas Mavericks!

Photo by Willie Martin "Mr. Will"

The exhibition part of the 2014-2015 season has now come to pass.

For those who like to keep track of such things the Dallas Mavericks prepare for Tuesday night having gone 4-4. 

A back to back was played and completed in Bossier City, La. October 23 while all the starters sat and men like Gal Mekel and Jae Crowder played some qualitative minutes in an 88-85 defeat at the Century Link Center in Cajun Country.

Tyreke Evans led the Pelicans with 14 points followed by Anthony Davis with 13.

It was a Jimmer Fredette three pointer that would give New Orleans an eight point lead with about eight minutes to go in the game.

Evans made 11 of his 14 points in the first period. One where the Pelicans jumped out to a 23-10 lead. The Mavericks got out to a horrific start as they shot only 25% in the premiere stanza and a lowly 33% for the half.

Mekel led the Mavericks (Sans Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler) with 17 points and 8 assists in a loss that placed Dallas at 3-4 in the exhibition scale. The Pelicans went with their starters and finished the slate 5-2. Many people (myself included) believe this is going to be a competitive group this upcoming season.

“We wanted to win,” Gal Mekel stated post game, “Again, I think we played strong with the first unit. You know, we were close, and in the end we thought we could have won. But this is a close game and it’s a possession here and a possession here. But, like in the Indiana game, I think we can take a lot of good things from our second and third units that stay strong against good teams.”

42 minutes garnered on a night the upper tier of the starters rested on a 7 for 13 night did not go unnoticed by Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.

“Mekel has continued to progress,” Carlisle speaking on the progression of Gal, “He’s gotten a great opportunity these last two games and he’s shooting the ball better. His decision-making has gotten better and he’s adjusted to the league, so he’s done a good job.”

In defeat Jae Crowder added 14 points while Charlie Villanueva would add another double digit total of 13 points whilst coming off the bench.

“We had a lot of guys play well,” Carlisle concluded. “I love the way that guys battled and hung in, so there were some good signs. I think we ended up outrebounding them even by one. You know, you can only take so much from exhibition games, because all the players aren’t playing. But there were a lot of good things.

October 24 Dallas went on to Orlando to finish out the exhibition run with the Magic. A place that was home for Jameer Nelson for over a decade and also home for Chandler Parsons. The Mavs started slow and then would just pull away 117-92 in Disneyworld country.

Coming home was something not lost on the Dallas Mavericks coach when asked about Jameer's return in a different uniform.

“You know, it’s special,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said about Nelson. “In a way I wish it was a regular-season game, because then it would really be more special. But in a way it’s probably good that there’s a little now and a little later, because these things can be emotional for guys. But, look, he was a beloved guy here for a decade and we’re happy to have him on our team now.”

Little did Jameer Nelson know that during the course of this final tuneup-one where he, Monta, Dirk, Tyson, and Parsons started-there would be a well deserved video tribute put forth by the Orlando Magic. Nelson at the start of action was given a standing ovation.

“As bad as I wanted to greet the fans and thank them, we’ve got a game,” Nelson said afterwards, 'You know, I just had to continue to play the game and continue my focus on what we were trying to do out there, getting better and doing some things that we needed to do better in this particular game. So, I appreciate the fans, and I just want to thank them back.”

“I thought I would get emotional but I didn’t. I mean, I was mentally focused on the task at hand and not really focused on the tribute. You know, I just had to focus on the game,” Nelson said.

Dallas trailed after one 27-25 before Dirk Nowitzki would pour in 16 points to provide the Mavericks an 11 point buffer at the break 57-46. After three periods Coach Carlisle could rest his starters and start to look ahead to Opening Night October 28 five hours south of Dallas.

Oh yes I did mention that Chandler Parsons is also an Orlando favorite. Parsons added 24 points shooting 8 for 13. Friends also showed up to cherr the native son on.

“A lot of people I know were here. You know, I probably had 30 to 40 people here, but this is my fourth year. It’s less exciting each time, but it’s still very special for me to come play in front of everybody,” Parsons confided.

“You know, I got off to a slow start, and I just need to get to the free-throw line more. Playing with these guys, they make it so easy. And we have the capability to never have to take bad shots and to never force anything with the talent that we have at the offensive end. It should come very easy for us and it should be fun for us like that every night.”

Tobias Harris led Magic scorers with 14 points on an evening the Mavericks had a very successful tuneup under the watchful eye of Coach Carlisle.

“I thought our first half was little below average for what we’re capable of. Second half was much better,” Carlisle said. “Preseason is over and now it’s on, so it’s time to move on to the real games.”

That opening night real game will be a national audience on TNT 7 pm locally with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. The team that Dallas awoke in a seven game stretch last April before Tim, Manu, and Tony rolled...

The Mavericks home opener will fall on October 30th with the Utah Jazz. It will also mark the first game ever played at the AAC in 2001 with the Pistons and Ric Carlisle. 

That was also Carlisle's first ever game as an NBA coach. That, and my first Maverick game inside the AAC.

It's going to be fun covering this squad and the wild wild Western Conference.

Over and out in Big D.

Mr. Will