Three Takeaways from Dallas Mavericks’ Win Over the Atlanta Hawks

The Dallas Mavericks caught fire from three-point land and had another impressive win Thursday night over the Atlanta Hawks.

The 108-94 blowout victory gives the squad a 4-1 record heading into their final preseason game tomorrow night.

Despite giving Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes, Devin Harris, JJ Barea, and Wesley Matthews the night off to rest, the Dallas Mavericks did not miss a beat when taking on the Atlanta Hawks on the road Thursday. The win is hopefully a sign of things to come with the Mavericks opening up the regular season slate against the Hawks in Dallas next Wednesday. Here are three important takeaways from the win:

1. Dennis Smith Jr. continues to flash all-star potential:

Dennis Smith’s night unfortunately ended mid-second quarter when the other Dennis, Hawks guard Dennis Schroeder, stepped-on and rolled Smith’s left ankle. Before Smith left the game for injury, however, he showed the type of skill that has many predicting him to win this year’s Rookie of the Year award.

Junior, which is the name he often goes by, impressed early and often tonight finishing with 9 points (4-9 FG) and 3 assists in only 13 minutes. The rookie out of NC State displayed his elite athleticism on a couple of contested finishes at the rim and drilled a confident pull-up three in a defender’s face.

Hopefully his injury is nothing too serious and all of us here at The Smoking Cuban will make sure to keep you updated as more developments on that situation arise.

2. The backup big-man situation could get in interesting in Dallas:

Jeff Withey’s preseason success thus far this preseason is forcing Head Coach Rick Carlisle to make some tough rotational decisions as we head towards the regular season. Dirk, Barnes, and Noel will experience the lion’s share of the load at the PF and C positions this season, but the recipient of the minutes behind those guys is becoming increasingly interesting.

Withey has shown an ability to defend and rebound at a decently high level, the latter of which Dallas sorely lacked last season when they finished dead last in the league in rebounds per game. His added outside touch has been a welcome addition to his game this preseason and provides spacing on the offensive end.

Dwight Powell and Salah Mejri will not sacrifice their spots in the rotation willingly. Powell is the most athletic, the youngest, and the most versatile of the bunch. His ability to play the PF position gives him an advantage over the other two despite being the worst interior defender and rebounder of the three. Mejri provides that edge and defense that can ignite and energize the team.

One more name to watch is Maxi Kleber. If he finds a way to make the team, don’t expect him to get any playing time early, but keep an eye on him as the season progresses. His outside shot appears to be fluid and he has flashed some athleticism and rebounding-ability as well.

3. Gian Clavell is an NBA-caliber player:

The star of tonight’s game was unquestionably rookie shooting guard Gian Clavell. His performance on the court has stood out all preseason and this was his best performance yet posting 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a game-high 34 minutes of action.

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Clavell plays the game the right way. He rotates the ball when he should, he doesn’t force too many ill-advised shots, and he does a tremendous job of taking what the defense gives him. Also, his defense appears to be good enough for him to hold his own at the NBA-level. On top of all of that, his outside stroke is lethal. He finished 5-10 from downtown tonight.

Although the Mavericks have a litany of guards, its hard to see Clavell not landing either the Mavs’ last roster spot, or their final 2-way roster spot. Beginning this season, each team is designated two 2-way roster spots for players they want to control on their G-League (developmental) roster without having to waste one of their 15 NBA roster spots on them. I’d be surprised to see the Mavericks pass up on Clavell after his strong preseason, but if they do he will assuredly find a home with another NBA team.

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The Dallas Mavericks will finish up their six game preseason schedule with a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow night at 5:00 (Central Time). Then, it will be time to get rowdy, loud, and proud once again at the AAC for the home-opener against the Atlanta Hawks next Wednesday. Make sure you go out and support your Dallas Mavericks!