Dallas, TX
Mavericks vs Spurs Preview: 3 questions as Dallas takes on San Antonio
The Dallas Mavericks face the San Antonio Spurs for the final time this season Tuesday night in San Antonio. Dallas is looking to go a perfect 4-0 against its divisional rival.
After beating the Spurs in a close game in the season opener, the last two matchups have been blowouts in the Mavericks favor. Dallas has taken care of business against below .500 teams, with a 21-5 record against losing teams this season. While the Spurs are still toiling at the bottom of the standings, rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama keeps getting better by the week, and will present a challenge for the new-look Mavericks front court.
Here are three questions to consider for the in-state matchup.
Will the Mavericks starting 5 come out looking like the team that just beat the defending champs?
An NBA starting lineup can be something like a jigsaw puzzle, resembling a discordant scene not dissimilar to a Bosch painting until the true image begins to work itself out through either the inherent skill of the dissectologist at the helm of the puzzle, or (more frequently) via the process of dumb luck. However it may be, it appears as if coach Jason Kidd has finally put together the Botticelli we’ve all been impatiently awaiting (yes, Luka gets to be Venus).
The combination of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. has created a unique and effective blend of chemistry and rotational balance. And it makes sense, especially when one realizes that Luka and Kyrie can (almost) win games via their own offensive output alone, that the ideal frontcourt to round out the remaining three spots in the Mavs’ starting five would always need to be – primarily – defensive-minded, highly athletic journeymen. The reader should be reminded here that Gafford very nearly broke the record for consecutive field goals made. Yes, I know stats have kind of taken over the focal point of sports coverage, but that record ain’t no joke, especially for an organization that has lacked quality bigs for as long as I have been alive. As we all know, it’s a lot easier to win the ballgame when the ball is going in the bucket, but team identity is forged when you have a group that can set a tone on a nightly basis. Not all games are going to end with a W, but creating a reputation as touch matchup is increasingly vital as this pony attempts to make some noise out in the west.
Will the Mavs’ recent success at winning the rebounding game continue?
In case no one is looking, there’s a 7’4 Frenchman casually waiting for tipoff at the Frost Bank Center. Well, more likely he’s having his caricature drawn next to wherever he’s parked his yacht along the riverwalk. While Victor Wembanyama hasn’t yet reached his full potential, he’s still creating matchup nightmares for teams across the league, making his presence felt on the boards and blocking shots with the regularity of an elite missile-defense system. While beating a Nuggets team with a healthy Jokic at the helm is not a task for some slouch, then taking it to the Spurs in the paint and coming away with a W on the heels of that task is a challenge, indeed. Obviously, Wembanyama presents a different kind of matchup than Jokic does. His frame and physical movement are more similar to Dallas’ Dereck Lively II, who recently said in an interview that one of his own strong suits is stamina, rather than brawn (you’ll get there, Rook).
We’ll see if the Dallas frontcourt rotation can continue to be a big factor in a contest against another very talented big man. Don’t be surprised if a few close-range floaters get sent packing back up to north Texas.
Can Luka continue to put up historic numbers and lead the Mavs to close out the season strong?
I don’t think anyone needs a reminder of what Luka does on a nightly basis. But… he’s the NBA’s scoring leader (so far) this season, it has lately become something of a disappointment if he doesn’t reach a 30-point triple-double line, and he routinely does something that justifies the coinage of “Luka-magic”. And, yet… his name consistently trails that of a few others in the MVP race this year. This is something that continues to bring frustration and ire to many within the fan base. We should be clear about our priorities, though. I, for my part, think it’s pretty obvious that he’s playing at an MVP level this season, and should, thus, be recognized for it. However, that trophy is awarded not only on the merits of individual achievement, but also through the achievement of an objectively successful regular season team campaign that those individual merits have given momentum to. A lot of analysts have drawn attention lately to the fact that this Mavs team is prone to streakiness. Well, their skills are commensurate with their job titles. The Mavs have been streaky. This is the time of the season that grit is needed to build momentum. While luck can often decide the final score, greatness finds a way to position itself for a greater chance at success.
The Mavs have already started their final push towards the postseason. The lion’s share of their fate will be attributed to the success that Luka is able to will them to in the coming weeks. Fortunately, it seems as if his confidence in his teammates is becoming a strength for him, and it seems to be making him even better at what he does.
How to watch
Tipoff is Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT on Bally’s Sports Southwest or NBA League Pass.
The search for the next general manager or president of basketball operations of the Dallas Mavericks has begun. They terminated Nico Harrison in November, which was about nine months too late, and gave any available candidates clear notice that they were open for business.
The plan was always to wait until after the season to start the search. While names popped up as the season reached an end, they didn’t begin turning over the staff until the Monday after the season ended. However, Dallas Mavericks fans are not going to like how the team is going about the search.
Patrick Dumont Leading Search for General Manager
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Mavericks are not hiring a search firm in their hunt for a new lead executive. Instead, team governor Patrick Dumont is “acting as his own point person.”
This is an… interesting decision, to say the least. Dumont is not a basketball person whatsoever, and most organizations usually hire a search firm. The Chicago Bulls hired one as they look for their replacement for Arturas Karnisovas. Just because a firm is hired doesn’t mean a team will listen, though.
The Mavericks hired a firm in their last search for a GM. They let Donnie Nelson go in 2021 after a long tenure with the Mavs. Instead of listening to the firm, though, Mark Cuban ignored it to hire Nico Harrison, who had no previous NBA front office experience. Harrison had been an executive with Nike, which gave him connections with players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and plenty of others.
For a while, that seemed to be working out okay. While he still had some questionable transactions, such as trading for Christian Wood and letting Jalen Brunson walk in free agency, they were still able to make a run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Then, he blew it all up, trading away Luka Doncic for an older and injured Anthony Davis, and the team hasn’t been the same since.
It’s imperative that the Mavericks get this hire correct. The interim Co-GM setup with Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley has performed admirably, but the 2026 NBA Draft is important for the Mavs to get right. It’s their best chance to pair Cooper Flagg with another young star, as they don’t own their first-round pick again until 2031 after this.
Hiring the right GM could help bring in more draft capital by bringing in bad contracts or flipping veterans into picks.
Dumont was able to convince Rick Welts, a Hall of Famer, to come out of retirement to be the CEO and lead the charge for a new arena. Maybe Dumont pulls another rabbit out of his hat for the GM.
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For a moment, it looked like FC Dallas was on its way to another statement win at home tonight.
Petar Musa scored two first half goals, to extend his Golden Boot leading tally to nine goals. But after Dallas grabbed control, the Galaxy found a way back before halftime with goals from Lucas Sanabria and Joseph Paintsil.
The second half brought more chances and more frustration for Dallas, which finished the night with 13 shots to LA’s nine. In the end, the point stretched Dallas’ unbeaten run to five games, though just like last week, it felt like another match where Dallas left points on the table.
Key Moments
7’ – GOAL! After a poor pass back by a LA defender, Petar Musa was free to go one-on-one with the LA goalkeeper. After a touch to get ahead of a defender, Musa slotted home his eighth goal of the season from outside the penalty box.
21’ – Offside! Joaquin Valiente sent a floating ball over the Galaxy defense, where Musa was able to get behind the defense and make an easy play for what appeared to be his second goal of the night. The play was called offside despite a fairly lengthy review period.
38’ – GOAL! This one counts! Musa gets his second of the night off a great ball from Chris Cappis. Logan Farrington picked off the ball in the midfield. He then played Cappis wide to the left of the penalty area. Cappis immediately played a ball back across the goal for Musa to slide in and finish for his ninth of the season.
43’ – Goal LA. Lucas Sanabria got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He took a couple of touches to get outside the penalty box before firing a shot that beat Michael Collodi at the near post.
45+4’ – Goal LA. Gabriel Pec got the ball near the top of the penalty area. He pulled the ball back a bit, which caught a pair of Dallas defenders. This allowed Joseph Painstil to get free behind the Dallas defense as Pec played him through inside the penalty area. Pec immediately smashed home a shot above Collodi to tie the game.
75’ – Another offside goal. This time on a corner kick for Dallas, after a scrum in the penalty box, Kaick hammered home what looked to be the go-ahead goal. But after a few seconds the flag was raised due to a deflection on Osaze Urhoghide, who was in an offside position.
Instant Reaction
Yeah, this is another disappointing result for this team. In a real way, it felt like the first half against Houston from last month. Dallas grabbed the lead, looked in control, but some defensive miscues opened the game up for the visitors to climb back.
With a double-game week coming up, this will certainly be another game where Dallas will wonder ‘what if’ more than anything else…especially when you factor in the two goals called off for offside.
About the Subs
Eric Quill went to his bench for the first time in the 66th minute, as he brought on Santiago Moreno for Logan Farrington. Quill went to his bench again 81st minute with Ran Binyamin and Nolan Norris coming on for Sebastien Ibeagha and Deedson. The final sub came during stoppage time with Herman Johansson and Joaquin Valiente coming off for Sam Sarver and rookie Nick Simmonds, who made his MLS debut.
Man of the Match
No question about it tonight, it has to be Musa.
Where does this fit into the season
As of this writing, the draw puts Dallas into a three-way tie for 5th place with Real Salt Lake and Seattle. Both are in action right now and look firmly in control of their games. I’d expect Dallas to be in 7th place by the end of the night.
What’s next for FC Dallas
Dallas wraps up a three-game homestand next Wednesday night as they host Minnesota United.
Dallas, TX
Akheem Mesidor selected by Cowboys by Blogging The Boys in SB Nation’s community mock draft
Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami
Pass rush has been an issue since the Micah Parsons trade. The Rashan Gary trade helped, but Dallas still needs an injection of talent. Akheem Mesidor fits here because his body size allows for some versatility inside and out, something DC Christian Parker utilizes. Mesidor is also a high-motor player with a deep bag of pass rush moves.
His last season at Miami was full of disruption in the offensive backfield and he shows an all-around game, not just a bend-around-the-edge pass rusher. Yes, he’s a little older than you’d like in a rookie (25), but his motor, pass rush toolbox, and ability to play the run matches up with a need and makes him a quality pick at number 20.
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