Mavs Bubble Practice Review: 'Have Your Trigger Ready'
The Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday exited the golf courses and the fishing holes of Disney World and returned to practice inside their Ballroom Bubble working to re-capture their NBA-leading offensive knack.
“You got to have your trigger ready,'' Tim Hardaway Jr., said.
The 2019-20 Mavs possess a record-setting level of efficiency on offense, and if their NBA re-boot is to be successful, reattaining that level is key. Yes, they're working on defense and on free-throw shooting and on ways to "win clutch games'' - with film study part of that work.
“Coach (Rick Carlisle) has done a great job of sprinkling that in,” Hardaway said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games throughout the year. They give us examples and, we’ve watched a little here and there. We know what we have to do. It’s just a matter of us going out there and experiencing it like we did this year.''
Oh, and yes, good health is huge. The first week of practices for Luka Doncic (see "The Leader'') and Kristaps Porzingis have been productive, and increasingly physical.
"Everybody’s doing well at the moment, knock on wood,” Carlisle said. “We’re ramping it up gradually. We’re getting into more full-contact activity, for sure.”
But ultimately, Dallas' calling card is taking and making lots of shots. Justin Jackson compared this week to a more conventional start; “Honestly,'' he said, "it feels like training camp a little bit.'' And that's OK, given how we Dallas played shortly after its actual 2019-20 training camp.
“It’s just that selflessness and knowing your role on the floor,” Hardaway said of getting back into the groove. “Everybody knows that once those two guys (Doncic and Porzingis) are on the floor, you just got to be ready. ... You got to be ready for anything.”
The 40-27 Mavs do seem "ready,'' in terms of attitude. They are "The Happiest Team On Earth.'' The fellas' golf outing resulted in a nice interaction with old pal Jason Kidd, now a Lakers assistant. The fellas' fishing trip resulted in Luka's usual success (though he's quick to note that while an avid fisherman, he doesn't actually eat fish). And yes, once back in the gym, Doncic made another trick shot ...
"We’ll stay in the practice of trying to follow the rules and procedures and protocols and hope that we can stay out of harm’s way,'' Carlisle said of the COVID-19 issue, adding that part of life in the bubble is "being waited on hand-and-foot.
"Our guys have a great attitude about being here. (The NBA is) bending over backward to make things comfortable for us, to make things as much like home as they can be.”
Of course, nothing makes the Mavs feel more at home than taking, and making, shot. With that trigger ready.
