3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' disappointing preseason loss to Timberwolves

The Dallas Mavericks have been anticipating getting back on the hardwood for months after their dreadful 38-44 season last year ended on April 9 versus the San Antonio Spurs.

There were a lot of intriguing things to take from their 99-111 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves today as the Mavericks kicked off preseason basketball in Abu Dhabi in their first of three international preseason games.

The Mavericks got off to a really slow start offensively in the first half as they shot horrendously, but luckily they were able to ride the coattails of some efficient first-half offense from Luka Doncic en route to a bit of a pseudo-comeback.

3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' disappointing preseason loss to Timberwolves

However, once Dallas decided that they were going to forego playing four out of their five starters for the rest of the game after the first half, the game had much more of an exhibition feel the rest of the way. Both teams tapped deep into their rotations for most of the second half, and the Mavericks played everyone that was listed to suit up by the end of the game as is typically customary in the first few preseason games.

Luckily preseason holds no actual stakes and Dallas will get to continue practicing and working on team bonding ahead of their second matchup versus Minnesota in Abu Dhabi on October 7.

Nonetheless though, here are 3 studs and 2 duds from the Mavericks' first preseason affair.

Honorable Mention: Dereck Lively II

Dereck Lively II came out with energy in the Mavericks' preseason debut. The rookie had a tall task trying to hold down veteran rim protector Rudy Gobert on both ends, but he had his bright spots. Lively II stepped up to protect the rim a few times in the second quarter and showed his rolling ability with a beautiful catch and finish on an alley-oop pass from Luka Doncic in the second as well.

However, he encountered many predictable rookie woes too. Lively II was routinely out of position for defensive rebounds and lost his man a few times on defense as well. He wasn't finding many gaps within the defense to make himself available as the roll-man and will need to get better at fouling less as well. Going head-to-head against Gobert isn't ideal for a rookie center in their debut though, so we'll definitely cut him some slack.

5. Stud - Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic's preparation this summer ahead of this Mavericks season came into full effect in the Mavs' first preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Doncic looked more explosive compared to the last couple of seasons and subsequently was able to get defenders on his hip so he could get to the rim and finish or make a kick-out pass.

Minnesota has an all-world defender on the perimeter in Jaden McDaniels, but even he wasn't able to stop the onslaught that Doncic put on in the first half to try and get the Mavericks back in the game.

Doncic did a good job of not forcing contested outside shots early and used his driving ability to open up some more leniency for himself to shoot it from beyond the arc when he got favorable switches.

Doncic was hyper-efficient, canning in three shots from downtown while also making six out of his seven free throws en route to a casual 25 points in the first half (He didn't play in the second half).

Doncic did a great job controlling the pace of the game within the first half, and whenever the Mavericks decide to open up the toolbox a little more with some of their more complex offensive actions involving Doncic, they are going to be hard to stop on offense throughout a lot of different periods this upcoming season.

It seems like Doncic's offseason training regiment that helped him lose weight along with his summer with the Slovenian national team, have really helped him on the court, but it's just one preseason game so we can't get too optimistic about an MVP campaign for the 24-year-old superstar just yet.

4. Dud - Dwight Powell

Dwight Powell is known by some Mavericks fans as being a 'saloon door' on defense. Powell was the epitome of that against the Timberwolves today, unfortunately. Powell obviously isn't just a complete albatross on defense as he has an extremely high motor, but his inability to flip his hips on defense and stay vertical whilst contesting shots at the rim definitely hurt Dallas today.

Powell may not fall victim to the same rookie mistakes that Dereck Lively II struggled with such as being out of position, but he's been in Dallas long enough for us to know that his defense has limitations to it.

Given the fact that Minnesota had two dynamic bigs offensively attacking Powell in Karl-AnthonyTowns and Naz Reid, it's no surprise that the pairing combined for 36 points on 14-of-30 shooting with Powell defending both of them respectively for decent stretches throughout the game.

Dwight didn't look terrible on the offensive side of the ball, but he didn't really have many opportunities to score outside of a few rolls and slips to the rim that he found himself open upon.

Powell also missed a wide-open left-handed layup in the first half, and while it's just one play in the preseason, rudimentary mistakes will have to be avoided on a consistent basis if Powell wants to plant himself above Richaun Holmes and Lively II in the Mavs' center rotation.

3. Stud - Josh Green

Josh Green didn't have the opportunity to play an extensive role on offense today as the Mavericks look to get a ton of different looks at who can initiate offense for them during this preliminary training camp/preseason period. However, the 22-year-old looked very polished on both sides of the ball when he was granted the opportunity.

Green was very active all over the court and used his diverse skillset to benefit the Mavericks in multiple ways. He looked very sharp on offense when he was tasked with having to create for himself in one-on-one scenarios.

Two of his more impressive plays of the game came off a tough finish over 6-foot-9 Kyle Anderson and a pull-up mid-range jump shot once Green diagnosed he had a mismatch at the top of the key in Rudy Gobert. If Josh Green can expand upon his bag and do things like that on offense on a more consistent basis while not getting tunnel vision when he tries to do it, then he may force the Mavericks' with his upcoming contract extension deadline looming.

Green looked like his springy and athletic self on defense too. He flew all over the court to finish close-outs and defensive rotations and also did a good job at sliding his feet whilst keeping his man in front of him at the point of attack. If Green continues to play like this, he'll earn one of the last two starting spots that are up for grabs.

2. Dud - Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Olivier-Maxence Prosper has reportedly had an excellent training camp and offseason for the Mavericks after turning heads out at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Prosper has the potential to fit the mold of the prototypical 3-and-D wing that can also add some tertiary elements of shot creation and driving to the rim to his game on a consistent basis if he continues to develop.

Jalen McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves is a player who arguably has a very comparable, but more polished skillset than Prosper. McDaniels is one of Minnesota's budding young players, and Mavericks fans were able to see the impact he had on the game today as a starter.

Jason Kidd is known for throwing rookies into the fire during the preseason, so there wasn't too much surprise when Prosper and Lively II were announced as starters ahead of Dallas' first preseason game in Abu Dhabi, but it was abundantly clear that Prosper has a lot more to gain offensively before he's considered to be on the caliber of a player like McDaniels.

Prosper was highly touted for his defense coming into the NBA Draft in June, and while he did a good job at reading and reacting in one-on-one scenarios, the rookie had multiple instances where he got lost on defensive rotations today against Minnesota. He also looked like he lacked a bag offensively compared to Summer League, as he had trouble coming up with ways to create space to attack driving lanes.

Prosper was all over the place in his preseason debut and only finished with a single point, but it's too early not to write this off as him just getting the jitters out.

1. Stud - Richaun Holmes

Richaun Holmes only played less than 10 minutes in his first action with Dallas since coming in a trade from Sacramento, but the veteran big-man did very well in his limited action in the second half.

Holmes was primarily defending Luka Garza and Naz Reid in the game, and though he's labeled as maybe just a slightly above-average defender, he had a string of possessions in the third quarter where he got block and strip that lead to the Mavericks getting the ball back.

Holmes looked stout in the Mavericks' defensive coverages and didn't give up any easy looks. He also did a good job at the other end holding down the dunker spot and making himself available once the Mavericks got dribble penetration.

Holmes looks big (muscle-wise) on the court, and it's extremely encouraging for Dallas to see how good of shape he's in after the 29-year-old big man dealt with a flurry of unfortunate happenings that derailed his career in Sacramento the last couple of seasons.

The Mavericks' plan at starting center hasn't been unraveled just yet, as they plan to explore who will fit best between Holmes, Powell, and Lively II. One thing is for certain though, and that is that Richaun Holmes definitely looks like he at least deserves a solid spot in the rotation if we are judging off the first preseason game.

Holmes will need to continue to prove himself throughout the rest of preseason and training camp if he's going to be a long-term option for Dallas at center or even just this season, but if he continues to be serviceable on both ends and returns to his form from a few seasons ago it could very well lessen the need for the Mavericks to go out and find a stop-gap rim protector until Lively II is ready.

We'll have you covered with the rest of Mavericks preseason basketball as they play the Timberwolves once again in Abu Dhabi on Saturday before heading to Madrid, Spain.