The Dallas Mavericks, or at least the summer version of themselves, knocked off Cam Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night to win their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League. As the old adage goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and that should be true of any grandiose Summer League takes from Dallas’ first three games.
Nonetheless, after attending the Mavericks’ first game in Vegas and loosely watching the last two, there are at least some big picture thoughts that I think could matter as we get closer to the NBA’s regular season.
The rooks have impressed far more than the sophomores
It’s not like Dallas was in a position where they needed a second-year guy to come to Vegas and show that they’re too good for Summer League. Cooper Flagg showed plenty enough last year in route to winning Rookie of the Year to avoid playing in Vegas again. The Mavericks did, however, bring each of their three two-way contract players to Vegas, and the results have been mixed at best.
Ryan Nembhard was legitimately terrible against the Lakers on Saturday night, with five turnovers complimenting his 3-for-11 night from the floor. John Poulakidas has been fine, albeit the shot has been a bit uninspiring after yet another 1-for-4 showing against Memphis on Monday. And then there’s Tyler Smith, who received a DNP – coaches decision on Monday against the Grizzlies after playing just 28 combined minutes in the first two contests.
Meanwhile, Morez Johnson Jr. had 27 points in game one, Sergio de Larrea just dropped 16 points and 12 assists in the win over Memphis, Tobi Lawal is doing some fun athletic stuff, and Seva Ishchenko has been better than I thought in his three games of action. That juxtaposition leaves Dallas in an interesting spot as they evaluate what the end of the roster will look like.
Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio de Larrea two-man actions should be a bench-group staple
One of the more intriguing things about the first two games was seeing the synergy of the Mavericks two first round selections. In game one against the Warriors, Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio de Larrea hooked up for a couple of excellent possessions, with Johnson Jr. slipping a screen and de Larrea throwing an excellent pass, resulting in nice finishes at the rim.
As Sergio continued to get increasingly comfortable, you saw the best of him against Memphis. Twelve assists against that Memphis group is quite salty! De Larrea showed off his vision and passing creativity, throwing several pinpoint lobs for dunks. Of course, as the pair learns to scale this into the NBA there will be some challenges. But as an early return, I like the idea of this two-man tandem alongside Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Seva Ishchenko isn’t ready for the NBA… yet
I’m actually more impressed with Ishchenko after the first week in Vegas than I thought! He’s been a pleasant surprise to watch, as he hasn’t been as overwhelmed athletically as many have feared. Granted, it’s been very hit or miss on that, but on the whole, he’s fit in quite nicely.
Another year or two of seasoning for The Big Lebowski would do him very well. The Mavericks should be angling for him to end up in a stronger European league than where he was last year, playing for Lokomotiv in Russia. Ishchenko needs to get stronger, which will help him overcome the issues he’s had finishing at the rim during the first week of Summer League. But there have been glimpses of what the vision there is. Here’s to hoping the Mavs can play the long game here.
