3 things we've learned about the Mavericks since preseason has started

It's well documented that the Dallas Mavericks haven't had the best start to their preseason affairs after Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic have been riddled with minor injuries amidst a huge international road trip to start the season off.

On top of that, the Mavericks have started 0-3, which isn't too debilitating given that all of these games are only exhibition matchups, but it certainly is less than ideal.

There's nothing definitive to truly take away since nothing is finalized yet, but we can make some pretty well-educated generalizations in regard to some of the questions we had going into this season for Dallas.

3 things we've learned about the Mavericks since preseason has started

Jason Kidd seemed pretty poised in his post-game press conference after the Mavericks' 127-123 loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday though, and it goes to show we can't hit the panic button on all fronts yet because chemistry on the court doesn't pop up out of thin air during preseason.

"It’s a new team, we’ve got a lot of new faces, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re all on the same page offensively and defensively. The Western Conference is deep, so we’ve got to bring our ‘A’ game each and every night, and we’ve got to be healthy."

Jason Kidd

Nonetheless, here are 3 things we've learned about the Mavericks since preseason has started.

3. Dereck Lively II will likely start at center

Dereck Lively II has looked as good as one could hope for in his first few preseason games in Dallas so far. He's flashed some uncanny athleticism and has been able to deter some shots that no other center on the Mavericks' roster would even have the ability to contest. It hasn't been a walk in the park though as expected for Lively II.

Lively II got a warm welcome to the NBA when he got dunked on by Rudy Gobert in his preseason debut against Minnesota, and he's had his fair share of rookie mistakes since in terms of being out of position on defense, over-fouling, not boxing out, not setting solid screens, etc.

However, his activity as a shot blocker and size alone has been enough to basically solidify himself as the best center on the Mavericks roster through three preseason games. Dwight Powell has looked horrendous defensively to start preseason and newly-acquire center Richaun Holmes hasn't looked polished on both sides of the ball in limited preseason minutes thus far.

As is customary for most rookie centers, Lively II inevitably will make mistakes and get physically beaten on plenty of occasions this upcoming season. However, the other options on the table of starting Holmes or Powell aren't all too appealing at the moment considering how bad they've looked in limited preseason minutes.

Mark Cuban said he wouldn't be surprised if Holmes performs above expectations this year in Dallas, but we'll need to see more from him or Dwight Powell in all facets of the game if they want to challenge Lively II for the starting spot that reportedly is "his for the taking" according to Marc Stein in a recent broadcast appearance on Bally Sports Southwest.

2. Dante Exum is legit

The Dallas Mavericks took a gamble this summer when they signed Dante Exum to a two-year deal, but through three preseason games, it's certainly paying off. Exum has put up impressive numbers so far in his return to the NBA through three preseason games, as he's averaged 5.7 assists per game and has nailed three out of his four shots from beyond the arc after spending the last few seasons overseas.

Exum has looked tenfold more confident with his playmaking, finishing, and jump shot compared to when we last saw him in the NBA briefly with the Cavaliers during the 2020-21 season. Couple that with the fact that he's always been a dynamic defender who's been able to guard both guards and smaller wings and it bodes credence to the fact that he can be a very useful guard off the bench.

We'll have to see if Exum is able to hone in on the offensive side of the ball and shoot at a consistent level for longer than three preseason games, but at the very worst he's an excellent pusher in transition and elite defender.

The writing is on the wall for Exum to carve out a nightly role in Dallas, but the Mavericks may have found a hidden gem on their hands and an upgrade from Frank Ntilikina last year at the very worst. If Exum is as dynamic of a playmaker as he's showcased throughout preseason, he could very well be leading the Mavericks' second unit as the first guard off the bench when the Mavericks debut in San Antonio on October 25.

1. The Mavericks have a lot of work to do before the season starts

While there are a lot of things on this Mavericks roster that'll take time to fully conclude upon since we can only take so much from just three preseason games, there is one thing that most Mavericks fans can definitely agree upon.

That being that the Mavericks have a lot of work to do before the regular season starts, and even though it is just preseason, a 0-3 start is obviously less than ideal. Dallas has a lot of question marks at the current moment, and while not all of them demand immediate answers, there have been some issues that most fans can acknowledge.

Probably the most glaring question mark through three preseason games has to do with the Mavericks' defense and whether they can improve upon their 25th-ranked defensive rating from last season. Dallas has looked underwhelming from a paint protection standpoint, as they gave up 60 points in the paint in their first preseason game in Minnesota and have lost the rebounding battle by a combined 20 boards through three preseason losses.

The proof is in the eye test as well, as the Mavericks centers are struggling mightily to be a consistent presence in the interior. Richaun Holmes has had extremely spotty minutes thus far, and barring a decent stretch in the first game versus Minnesota he hasn't rebounded the ball or played defense to the caliber that is needed as aforementioned, and Dwight has looked extremely shaky as well.

Dereck Lively II isn't a starting caliber center yet but should start if the Mavericks' veteran centers continue to underwhelm. Lively II will have some electric plays for Dallas next season, but his growing pains could inevitably end up weighing out the positives until he gets enough games under his belt.

Dallas also still needs to figure out a set rotation with a logjam at the guard position, and they will need to be better across the board at defending the perimeter and closing out on shooters amidst the more switch-heavy scheme they instilled in this training camp.

There are obvious questions in regard to how good some of Dallas' young players such as Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Who has had a rough preseason) will play to close preseason and to start the regular season, but only time will tell so we'll have you covered with all the latest developments surrounding the Mavericks as the Dallas closes preseason on and heads into regular season play shortly after.