3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks Summer League win over Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks took on the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in what was their third Summer League contest, and it was an absolute thriller.

The tightly-contested game ended up going to overtime, and at Summer League, overtime is decided by an Elam Ending, meaning the teams are given a target score to hit in an untimed quarter. In the case of this game, that target score was 97.

With both teams knotted at 96, the Mavericks got a stop and took the ball out in transition. Olivier-Maxence Propser drove it hard to the cup and missed a contested layup, but Braxton Key was there for the game-winning put-back slam. Dallas ended the night with a 98-92 victory over the Warriors.

It was an electric finish to what may have been the best game in all of Summer League thus far, and the Mavericks ended the game on top.

But before we get into the studs and duds of the game, let’s go over a few honorable mentions.

Honorable mention: Braxton Key

It would be wrong not to have Key on this list, but since he didn’t put together a particularly efficient game, he lands among the honorable mentions. He deserves love for his hustle and the game-winner, though.

Honorable mention: Taze Moore

After a solid game in the Mavericks’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Taze Moore played super well against the Warriors, utilizing his amazing energy and great athleticism. He put up 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting overall and 1-of-2 shooting from deep.

Honorable mention: AJ Lawson

Despite his subpar efficiency, AJ Lawson makes sure his energy is always felt. That was once again the case against Golden State, as Lawson finished with eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.

With all that said, let’s get into the official studs and duds of the Mavericks’ Summer League win over the Warriors.

1. Stud - Dereck Lively II

Breaking news, Dereck Lively II has officially purchased a condo on the “Studs” list, as this is his third-consecutive appearance, as he’s been listed as a stud after every single Dallas Mavericks Summer League game.

It’s gotten to the point where there aren’t any more words to describe the impact Lively is having on these games, but we’re going to try to accomplish that feat anyways.

Against the Warriors, Lively finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds (four of which were offensive), and two blocks while shooting 4-of-5 from the field. He also picked up five personal fouls, but that’s something he can work on.

The sheer size of Lively is enough to intimidate opponents, as he’s truly a giant down low. With his mix of height and athleticism, he’s able to affect everything around the rim.

Lively’s defensive instincts are truly incredible to watch, as he’s almost always in the right place to make a play on the ball. And offensively, he showed some progress in this one, too.

For a Mavericks team that was looking to reshape their center position heading into the offseason, Lively is looking like the perfect pick-up.

With the way he’s played in Summer League this far, Dallas fans are going to be begging head coach Jason Kidd to put Lively in the starting lineup from Day 1.

2. Dud - Jaden Hardy

Sure, Jaden Hardy led the Dallas Mavericks in points against the Golden State Warriors, but he was very inefficient, and to be honest, that’s how it’s been for the majority of Summer League.

Heading into the event, head coach Jared Dudley stated that Hardy was going to get roughly 20 shots a night. What he didn’t say was that Hardy was going to be chucking up wild shots on a lot of occasions.

In Dallas’ win over Golden State, Hardy put up 21 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, but he shot just 6-of-19 from the floor and 1-of-9 from beyond the three-point arc.

Hardy’s struggles hurt the Mavericks in overtime, too. With the Elam Ending, every possession counts even more, and Hardy took three of Dallas’ six overtime shots. However, he shot just 1-for-3, including 0-of-2 from distance, both of which were forced shots.

On the main roster, Hardy’s role is going to be that of a sparkplug scorer off the bench, but if he struggles with efficiency, Jason Kidd could be forced to keep him on a short leash.

It’s great to see Hardy have the freedom to create and get his shots up in Summer League, but he should be looking to do it more efficiently.

3. Stud - Olivier-Maxence Prosper

For the second-straight game, both of the Dallas Mavericks’ rookies make it onto the “Studs” list, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper might be just as defensively gifted as Dereck Lively II.

The Mavericks traded into the draft to select Propser, and with him and Lively as their rookie haul, they may have snagged two of the best defensive players in the draft.

Prosper’s performance against the Warriors was his best to date in Summer League, as he was able to impact the game not only on the defensive end but on the offensive end as well.

The rookie finished the night with 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting 3-of-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line. He also shot 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.

For the first time this summer, Prosper was able to connect on some threes, nailing all three of his triples. If he can become a somewhat-reliable shooter, he should get regular minutes at the NBA level.

Prosper’s defensive talent is absurd, as he was utilizing his elite energy and athleticism to hound the Warriors, making life hard for anyone he was matched up against.

With the level of intensity he plays with, Jason Kidd may have a new favorite player in his forward rotation.

4. Dud - Jordan “Jelly” Walker

After missing the Dallas Mavericks’ first Summer League game, Jordan “Jelly” Walker has played in the last two, but he hasn’t been playing as well as he probably would like.

Walker signed a deal with the Mavericks after the draft, but it’s unclear what type of contract he signed. It wasn’t reported to be a two-way deal, but it seems unlikely that he landed a standard contract.

Regardless, with the way the UAB and former “Jelly Fam” sensation played against the Golden State Warriors, Mavericks fans may want to see him in the G League first before he gets run with the main club.

Against the Warriors, Walker dropped three points, two rebounds, and two steals while shooting just 1-for-9 from the field and 1-for-4 from behind the three-point arc.

The 5-foot-11 guard is clearly comfortable with the ball in his hands, but while he was searching for his shot against the Warriors, he ended up getting way too many looks for how little success he found.

Obviously, one poor performance doesn’t determine the skill level of a player, but with the number of guards Dallas already has on the roster, a shooting performance like this one could be enough to make the Mavericks think twice.

1. Stud - Mike Miles Jr.

Speaking of guards, TCU guard Mike Miles Jr. signed a two-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks after the NBA Draft concluded, and it’s now easy to see why they made that move.

The 6-foot-2 point guard played with great energy and can do a little bit of everything on the court, making him a solid addition to Dallas’ roster.

After coming off the bench in each of the Mavericks’ first two Summer League games, Miles replaced McKinley Wright IV (who picked up a DNP-CD) against the Golden State Warriors, and he made sure to make the most of the opportunity.

Miles ended the game with 19 points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block while shooting 6-for-11 from the floor and 3-for-8 from behind the three-point line.

It was easily his best game of Summer League thus far, as he looked super comfortable out there, taking over as the team’s best perimeter scoring option on a night where Jaden Hardy struggled with his efficiency.

As noted when discussing Jordan Walker’s night, the Mavericks already have a lot of guard depth, so Miles may not break into next year’s rotation.

However, performances like the one he had against Golden State should leave Mavericks fans excited to see what he can do in the G League next year in an attempt to earn more reps on the big league squad.