4 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' narrow preseason loss to Grizzlies

The Dallas Mavericks opened up the preseason on Monday night as they battled the Memphis Grizzlies at home.

Mavs fans couldn't wait for basketball to return to the American Airlines Center after over a 100-day hiatus, and the Mavs had plenty of new players take the floor for the first time in a Mavs jersey.

While Klay Thompson's debut will have to wait until later in the preseason, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, and Spencer Dinwiddie all played on Monday night. Fans were thrilled to see the Mavs take the floor once again, and there is tons of excitement surrounding the team heading into the regular season.

4 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' narrow preseason loss to Grizzlies

Dallas ended up losing this game 121-116, but there was plenty to be excited about if you're a Mavs fan.

Four of Dallas' five likely starters didn't play in this game, and they still kept it close until the end.

6. Stud - Naji Marshall

Dallas' first move of free agency was signing Marshall to a three-year deal, and this move already looks golden after just one preseason game.

Marshall started the game strong, as he had five points in the first three minutes of the game, and he displayed some of his biggest skills that Mavs fans were fired up about early on. Marshall's first shot as a Maverick was a made three from the top of the key, and his next shot was an and-one layup off of his own dribble drive.

Marshall's ability to handle the ball in space is something that stood out at Fan Jam, and his comfortability in that area continued into Monday night. He looks confident in his handle, and his confidence to shoot shots off the dribble and create for himself is something that could benefit the Mavs in certain situations.

Marshall's feel for the game was also on full display, and he is a selfless passer in most situations. Sometimes he got caught trying to do too much off the dribble, but his vision and passing are definitely there. Kyrie Irving compared Marshall's playstyle to someone from the East Coast during Fan Jam, and Marshall's guard skills were clear through watching him on Monday night.

He may not get to run tons of point forward once it gets to the regular season, but he showed that he can take that role on when needed. This will help the Mavs push the pace when he grabs long rebounds, and he showed he is more than a 3-and-D wing quickly.

He finished with nine points and six rebounds on 4-11 shooting, and showed flashes of what he can be moving forward.

5. Stud - Jazian Gortman

Heading into training camp, most Dallas Mavericks fans didn't know what to expect from Jazian Gortman. He was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract over the summer, and with the Mavs' depth at guard, it was unknown how he'd look playing for the Mavs.

Gotman quickly showed that he could end up fighting for that final two-way spot in the first quarter, and he put Mavs fans on notice right away. In the first quarter alone, Gortman finished with nine points on 3-4 shooting from downtown, and he displayed an ability to knock down threes off the catch as well as off the dribble.

Being able to knock down shots off the dribble and off the catch is important for guards in Dallas considering that they'll often share the floor with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and Gortman's play off the ball was intriguing at the very least.

Considering that the Mavs already have an undersized on a two-way deal (Brandon Williams), it may be hard for Gortman to land that final roster spot to begin with, but his game against Memphis was a nice start.

His 3-point shooting was the obvious draw of his performance, but his defense shouldn't go unnoticed either. He can sit down and guard when needed, and he has the quickness to put plenty of pressure on ball handlers while continuing to play sound defense. Gortman can be a pest and play physical defense when needed, and he gives good effort on that end.

He is among the Exhibit 10 guys who will be fighting for that final roster spot, and him being the only player from that group who played in the first half is a good sign.

4. Dud - Injuries and rest

Winning preseason games means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, and injuries and rest caused Mavs fans to miss out on seeing four of their five likely starters take the floor on Monday night.

P.J. Washington, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson all missed the game against the Grizzlies, and Thompson and Irving could be making their preseason debut on Thursday as Jason Kidd revealed they'll likely play the final three preseason games to ramp up for the regular season.

Thompson and Washington both still warmed up before the game, and Kidd said there isn't any concern with Washington's reported hip tightness.

Resting Irving and Thompson was easily the right call by Kidd considering that these games mean nothing and he feels good about how Thompson is coming along with his new team, but it doesn't make things any easier on fans who can't wait to see him play.

Fans must remain patient with seeing Thompson take the floor for the first time, and Thursday night may be that day if he does indeed play the final three preseason games.

Doncic missing the game against Memphis was expected as he is working through a calf contusion, and the main focus for the Mavs should be getting him healthy before the regular season begins. Injuries significantly hindered Doncic's performances in the playoffs, and they can't afford to start a season with him not being fully healthy.

Getting out of this game fully healthy was something Kidd stressed before the game, and that's exactly what they did.

3. Stud - Dereck Lively II

Dereck Lively II's development was one of the biggest storylines heading into the preseason, and he showed off his hard work against the Memphis Grizzlies. Lively II came off the bench, but his play was strong right after he checked in.

Lively II had two and-one layups in the first quarter alone, and his second of the two was the most impressive by far. He caught the ball on the opposite side of the floor, brought the ball up, and finished with an and-one layup after a spin move.

This was something that Mavs fans never got to see from Lively II last season, but he looked under control and comfortable as he drove to the rim. Don't get used to seeing Lively II handling the ball in space, but the smoothness of that finish and move should be seen as a positive for him.

Most of Lively II's offensive impact last season came as a rim roller, but his game could slowly evolve into more than that this season. Lively II focused on becoming a better paint scorer this summer, and his work in that area was illustrated in his performance on Monday.

As much as Mavs fans want Lively II to start shooting threes, it may not be happening as quickly as some expect. Lively II didn't shoot a three in this game, but everything else on offense looked strong.

His defense was strong as usual, as his length and presence in the paint must always be accounted for. We also got a brief look at Lively II's ability to switch out and guard when needed, and this was one of his biggest areas of improvement over the course of last season.

His second-year jump will be one of the more underrated factors for the Mavs' success, and he started strong on Monday. Lively II's 12 points in 14 minutes stuck out immediately in this game, and he remains one of the most important players to Dallas' success.

2. Dud - Spencer Dinwiddie

In his first game back with the Dallas Mavericks, Spencer Dinwiddie struggled to get going. The numbers speak for themselves as he finished with four points in 17 minutes while shooting 1-6 from the field and 1-4 from the free throw line, and he has to be better considering Dante Exum's injury.

No timetable has been announced for Exum's wrist injury, but if he does miss significant time, Dinwiddie will move up the depth chart and will likely get some decent playing time. Jason Kidd alluded to Dinwiddie being behind Exum in the rotation, but that won't be the case if Exum misses time (which seems expected at this juncture).

Dinwiddie's couple of highlight plays from the night include a three off the catch in front of the Grizzlies' bench and a transition lob to Dereck Lively II, and he'll have the chance to shake the rust off on Thursday evening.

Dinwiddie's shooting didn't look great and his passing didn't stick out as he turned the ball over three times, and he'll have to be better to be a trusted rotation piece for Kidd.

Seeing that alley-oop from him to Lively II go down was a step in the right direction, and he must get on the same page as Dallas' bigs to get the most out of his minutes. He has never been known as a great lob thrower in his career, and him improving in that part of the game will help him fit right into Dallas' offensive scheme.

Dinwiddie's 3-point shooting off the catch was one of his biggest strengths when looking at his first tenure in Dallas, and he'll need to be efficient in this area again to make the biggest impact in his minutes.

1. Stud - Jaden Hardy

Jaden Hardy brought exactly what everyone should have expected out of him in the Mavs' first preseason game against the Grizzlies, and he remains a walking bucket. Hardy finished with 21 points, three rebounds, three steals, and nine assists. He shot 6-16 from the field and 6-10 from downtown and turned the ball over four times.

While his efficiency wasn't great inside the arc, he was deadly from downtown.

3-point shooting seems like the area that he is going to be best in this season if he can keep it up. Hardy's 3-point shooting took a dip last season after a great rookie year, and he could make a big offensive impact if he can sink open shots consistently.

Hardy was seemingly automatic from downtown, but the turnovers were a bit concerning at times. He made a couple of bad passes and lost the ball when driving to the rim, and this is an area that he must be better at if he wants to receive consistent minutes during the regular season. Jason Kidd praised Hardy's playmaking in this game and thinks he was making the right play more often than not.

His 3-point shooting off the catch looked good, which is extremely important for his success in Dallas, and his playmaking was a step in the right direction. Hardy said that Kidd is looking for good decision-making out of him to prove that he can play in Dallas' normal rotation, and he picked up where he left off in the playoffs when it comes to his playmaking.

Hardy's ability to be a secondary creator and make the right play helped him rise up the depth chart during the playoffs and become a key X-factor, and he'll need to get back to being able to be trusted in those situations to be a solid role player this season.