Dallas Mavericks: Two guys that need a strong game tonight

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DALLAS, TX – SEPTEMBER 29: Dennis Smith Jr. #1 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks look on against the Beijing Ducks on September 29, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Dallas Mavericks are looking for their first win of the season tonight as they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. Which Mavs players really need to show up tonight?

The Dallas Mavericks rough first night can be attributed to a lot of different things. Rather than make excuses, we will just call it a rough game and move forward, setting our sights on the Minnesota Timberwolves and the chance for a Mavs victory in front of a home crowd.

After the loss to the Phoenix Suns, I laid out who I felt played really well and who played poorly. Dwight Powell and J.J. Barea were the real stars of the show on Wednesday. Between the lobs/dunks and some savvy defensive plays, these two guys just about brought the Mavs back into the game before Devin Booker went off.

On the bad side of things, we talked about Dennis Smith Jr., who looked sluggish, lost and a little bit apathetic. It was not a pretty game for DSJ but it was also only the first of many. Give him a chance to correct.

Among the other players who got some minutes, I felt that Jalen Brunson, DeAndre Jordan and Maxi Kleber played particularly well. None were super over the top, but each played their role and did a good job. Jordan even logged the first Mavs double-double of the season.

In my middle-tier, I have quite a few names: Dorian Finney-Smith, Luka Doncic, Devin Harris, Ryan Broekhoff and Ray Spalding. These guys all did pretty good without impressing too much.

At the bottom tier: we have Dennis Smith and Wesley Matthews. It may not be fair to put Wes down at the bottom as he didn’t have a terrible game statistically, but his decision making on the court continues to give me nightmares and last game was no different. I had to put him in the bottom tier.

So who really needs a good game tonight? Whether it be for morale, a better view in the eyes of the fans or just because we need some vindication that our beliefs of the summer were understandable, these two players could use a good game against the Timberwolves.

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