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Dallas Mavericks Player of the Game

By Kohl Rast

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Charlie Villanueva takes home Player of the Game honors in preseason opener

The first preseason game of the 2015 season is officially in the books and although the outcome was less than stellar in a lot of aspects, we certainly had some bright spots, too. I would love to talk all about the things I was impressed with, things I wasn’t impressed with, and the players I can’t wait to see as they progress.

But this post is about one thing…the player of the game.

Traditionally, the player of the game award is given to someone from the winning team but here at The Smoking Cuban, we know that a Maverick will always be the best player on the court no matter what the occasion.

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Prior to watching the game, I was looking forward to seeing a lot of players on the court, brainstorming and pondering which of these young players were going to have the biggest impact on the team.

My money was on Jeremy Evans, Justin Anderson, or possibly even Maurice Ndour making a splash in the game. Someone like John Jenkins could’ve easily had a big night and Zaza Pachulia, Devin Harris, and JJ Barea are all excellent veterans who could have their way out there if they so choose.

Am I missing anyone?

The player of the game this evening is none other than The Flamethrower himself, Charlie V! Charlie had an excellent game tonight showing not only that he still has that 3-ball waiting on his fingertips, but also that he is ready to make a real impact for the team this season.

Villanueva ended the day with 18 points and 8 rebounds. He shot 8-17 for the game and a below average 2-8 from 3-point land but the most impressive part about his game was the level of tenacity he played with.

On multiple occasions, we got to see Charlie attack the basket off the dribble, beating his defender and finishing with a sweet reverse layup. Another occasion had him and Devin Harris turn a fast break into a vicious one handed jam that I didn’t even know he had in him!

But in all honesty, the most impressive part of Charlie V’s performance tonight was his attacking of the glass on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Eight rebounds may not sound like a lot for a guy that is 6’11” but seeing him play today as opposed to his performance last year, we may see Charlie solidifying his spot in the Mavericks rotation.

It will be exciting to see if he can keep the aggression and intensity up as we get closer to and into the regular season, but as for tonight, Charlie Villanueva is the Dallas Mavericks Player of the Game.

Next: First Look at the 2015-16 Dallas Mavericks

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