Dallas Mavericks Fall to Raptors in Summer League

The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Toronto Raptors in the 2nd game of the Las Vegas Summer League tonight 80-69. What are the takeaways from the game?

The Dallas Mavericks played their second Las Vegas Summer League Game tonight against the Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, this game did not go quite as well for Dallas as we fell to the Great White North 80-69.

It was a pretty ugly loss with an even more ugly first half but the Mavs were still able to make the game interesting in the second half. After scoring only 21 points in the first half (6 in the entire 2nd quarter), the Mavs came out strong with a 28-point 3rd quarter. The 4th quarter was not quite as pretty but at least the team game a good show in the 2nd half.

The good thing about the summer league is that the results don’t matter quite as much as the showcase of the potential team players and the guys that could be able to take over. Of course the guys want to win the game and so do the coaches, but in the end, Dallas is looking for potential roster players.

Here are three takeaways from the game for the Dallas Mavericks.

Mar 1, 2016; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators forward Dorian Finney-Smith (10) passes the ball around Kentucky Wildcats forward Skal Labissiere (1) during the first half at Stephen C. O /

1.Dorian Finney-Smith Will Be Interesting

DFS, as he has come to be known, may not be an offensive threat, but he could be a great player. The Mavericks have already signed him to a deal and for good reason. Although he did not score in the game tonight, his defensive abilities were on display.

Apr 23, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Justin Anderson (1) dunks past Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second quarter in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

A long athletic player like DFS who is quick enough to defend some guards and big enough to guard most wings could be a coaches dream. Expect the Dallas Mavericks to be a better defensive team in the coming year.

2. Justin Anderson Still Has Some Kinks

Anderson is one of the players that Mavs coaches and fans are very high on and super hopeful that he will make a big turn in his career this year. He showed flashes of brilliance at times during last season but definitely in need of some refining.

That need for refinement was definitely clear tonight as Anderson scored only 10 points on 4-16 shooting. That kind of shooting is not going to cut it when he is going against much more elite talent.

His leadership on the court is clear, which is great to see, but that needs to come by example as well and tonight was a poor example of it. He will grow as time goes on, but some of that growth needs to become apparent relatively soon.

3. Jameel Warney is Making His Case

Warney is a big man and uses his body well in the post. He knows where to be for rebounds and, even though he is not as tall as many other big men, he appears to be a great rebounder. The bigger reason that Warney could be making a solid case for his spot on the team is his hustle.

Warney moves around like he is fighting for a roster spot and it is working really well for him. Looking a lot like a DeJuan Blair type player is definitely helpful to his chances of making the team. His hustle and speed as a big man gives him a chance to help at both the 4 and the 5 potentially as well. Keep an eye on this guy.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Goodbye to Last Year's Players

The Dallas Mavericks are 1-1 in the Las Vegas Summer league now after beating up on the Miami Heat two nights ago, the Mavs fell to the Raptors tonight in an unconvincing game. The final summer league game will be tomorrow against the Boston Celtics at 5:00 pm Central Time.

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