5 things Dallas Mavericks fans learned from 2022 media day

The Dallas Mavericks started the 2022-2023 season with media day on Sept. 25. Head coach Jason Kidd and the players took pictures and gave their first interviews of the season before the work starts on Tuesday with their first practice. The Mavs are fresh off a run to the conference finals, and they are looking to build towards another deep playoff run.

Fans got to hear from Luka Doncic for the first time since his shocking loss in the EuroBasket quarterfinals with the Slovenian National Team. It was a long summer of basketball for Doncic, but the 23-year-old is eager to get back on the court. Coach Kidd said Luka will do light work at the start of training camp, but fans should expect Doncic to play in the preseason and be a full-go for the regular season opener on Oct. 19 against the Phoenix Suns.

There was plenty to learn from media day 2022, including updates on Tim Hardaway Jr’s health, who is in the starting five, and so much more. Fans can listen to all the media day interviews on the team’s YouTube page, but here are the top five takeaways.

Dallas Mavericks are going to miss Jalen Brunson

Brunson left the Mavs in free agency as he decided to sign with the New York Knicks to be their lead ball-handler. The 6’1 guard was a success story in Dallas as he went from second-round pick to the second-leading scorer on the team. Brunson averaged over 21 points per game in the playoff, and he continues to get better.

His departure was a talking point in almost every interview, and it was clear that the team will miss Brunson this season. Dorian Finney-Smith had the quote of the day when he said this.

"Phew, you see how much money they gave him? I would have been mad if he would have stayed here."

Coach Kidd mentioned Frank Ntilikina and Josh Green as the players to step up and fill that third ball-handling role, and Finney-Smith is also expected to do a bit more creating this season. Dallas will have to do it by committee, but the entire team will miss Brunson this season.

Dallas Mavericks wing Reggie Bullock changed his diet to improve his conditioning

Bullock was motivated by the team’s Western Conference Finals run, and he talked about admiring Stephen Curry’s conditioning and how it forced him to push his game to another level. The 6’6 wing was not shy as he told the media that he drastically changed his diet to improve his conditioning and his overall health for his children.

"Well, I definitely changed my eating. The red meat, I’m so done with. I just feel a lot lighter and quicker. I’m just trying to always keep my body hydrated. Drinking more water than ever really, definitely trying to drink more than a gallon a day. Just trying to get built and ready for the season."

Bullock would not be the first player that changed his diet to improve his career and longevity. The 31-year-old is motivated to get into the best shape of his life, so he can play massive minutes to help the Dallas Mavericks get to the NBA Finals. Bullock took a bit of time off this summer, but he spent the rest of it improving his game.

Reggie Bullock is expected to start next to Luka Doncic, Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and JaVale McGee. The group will be dangerous on both ends of the floor, but the addition of McGee should plug the Mavs rebounding and rim protection holes from last season.

Fans should be watching closely to see if Bullock’s diet changes are impacting his game. The 6’6 wing is hoping to have more stamina this season, and the Dallas Mavericks need him to sink open shots and play stout perimeter defense if they want to go on another deep playoff run.

Christian Wood embracing role on winning Dallas Mavericks

Head coach Jason Kidd was the first to meet with the media on Sept. 25, and he made it clear that JaVale McGee and Spencer Dinwiddie would be joining the Mavs' starting five, which means Wood will come off the bench.

Wood averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.0 block over the last two seasons with the Rockets, but they were one of the worst teams in the NBA. The 6’10 forward is excited about joining a winning environment and having a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in his NBA career.

Wood is embracing the work, and he had this to say about what he has already done with assistant coach Sean Sweeney to be ready for the season.

"I don’t know if you guys know, but that guy has been killing me in the gym. I’ve been here two or three months, before everybody even got here. I’ve been doing one-on-one workouts straight with him, so I’m in pretty much the best shape of my life right now, so thank you, Sean Sweeney."

Fans were worried that there would be drama from Wood about coming off the bench, but the 6’10 forward made it clear that he wants to win, and he is committed to doing whatever it takes to do that.

Wood will not start on opening night, but he should play starters minutes and have a chance to be the Mavericks' second-leading scorer this season. Expect his playing time and team victories to matter more than starting.

JaVale McGee thinks the Dallas Mavericks can win every game

The Mavericks signed JaVale McGee in free agency to help solve the team’s rebounding and rim protection woes from last season. The seven-footer was excited to be back in Dallas and to play with Luka Doncic. He pulled no punches about what he is trying to accomplish this season.

"My goal at the beginning of the year is to try to win every single game. I want to go day one, 82-0. Damn near impossible, but I want to do it. Why can’t you shoot for that? My goal every year is to win every game with my brothers, which is the one through 15 that is putting this Dallas Mavericks jersey on, and if you are not coming in with that mindset then, you are not on my side at all."

McGee is a proven winner, who has won three rings since leaving Dallas in 2016. Playing on a contending team was high on his priority list in free agency, and the veteran big man believes he is a fantastic complement to the Mavericks.

Winning was a theme of the day for the Mavs. They are not satisfied after reaching the conference finals last season. Dallas wants to get back and break through into the finals this year. They will begin building towards those goals with the first practice on Sept. 26.

Will the Mavericks go 82-0? No, but they could be one of the top teams in the Western Conference and go on a deep playoff run. Expect JaVale McGee to play a key role for Dallas this season. He will be a fantastic rim protector, rebound, and lob threat that could take his game to another level playing off of number 77.

Tim Hardaway Jr. is healthy and ready for Dallas Mavericks training camp

Hardaway Jr. missed the team’s playoff run after suffering a season-ending foot injury in January. He worked hard to get back on the court, but the 6’5 wing just was not healthy enough to play in the postseason. Fans saw some videos of him working out, but there were still questions about his availability for training camp.

Those were put to bed on media day as Hardaway Jr. said he is “100 percent healthy and ready to go”. Coach Kidd said THJ has been back in Dallas for the last week, and he was scrimmaging with his teammates, so there should be no questions about his health moving forward.

The Mavericks need Hardaway Jr. to step up and play a key role off the bench this season with Jalen Brunson in New York. He struggled to find his shot last season before the injury, and Dallas needs him to return to his Rick Carlisle days where THJ shot over 39 percent from 3-point range and dropped 16 points per game.

Hardaway Jr. seemed motivated to get back on the floor and get to work with his teammates. He also talked about the NBA changing the bench rules because of what he and Theo Pinson were doing in the postseason in a must-listen interview for fans.

The Dallas Mavericks are hungry entering the 2022-2023 season, and fans should be excited. Expect the team to reach new heights in year two under Jason Kidd, and please stay tuned for all the latest.