Jaden Hardy, Christian Wood Shine as Shorthanded Mavs Top Thunder in Preseason Opener
Although the Dallas Mavericks (1-0) were shorthanded with Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, JaVale McGee and Davis Bertans all sitting out, the team and fan base were excited to get the NBA preseason rolling in Tulsa on Wednesday night. The Mavs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-1) in comeback fashion, 98-96.
In his first official appearance with the Mavs, Christian Wood put up 16 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench. He shot 7-13 from the field, including 2-4 from deep. Wood's defense was problematic early on, but one has to think those issues can be mitigated once he's playing alongside Kleber with the second unit.
Rookie guard Jaden Hardy showed why the Mavs are excited about his potential going forward. The 20 year old put up a team-high 21 points on 8-16 from the field, including 4-9 from deep … in just 24 minutes off the bench. He scored 16 of Dallas' final 22 points to help seal the win. If Hardy can keep up this level of play, the Mavs won't be worried about their backup point guard spot for too much longer.
“It shows the work that (Hardy has) put in since summer league. He spends a lot of time in the gym,” said coach Jason Kidd.
“He’s coming back at night, he’s working — not just on the floor — but watching video. He wants to be good, he wants to play, he wants to participate, and again you can see that in tonight’s game.”
Dwight Powell, who got the start at center in McGee's absence, wasn't too far behind Wood and Hardy with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes of action. It will be interesting to see what Powell's role will look like throughout the season when both Wood and McGee are available.
There has been a lot of hype surrounding Mavs’ third-year man Josh Green due to his encouraging play in training camp. In 23 minutes as a starter, Green tallied nine points, four rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes. He shot 4-5 from the field and made a handful of impressive hustle plays. Overall, Green looks more confident and controlled than he ever has. Let the hype train roll on.
Spencer Dinwiddie joined Green by scoring nine points of his own in just 16 minutes. He shot 3-6 from the field and dished out three assists, including this beauty to Green off a turnover in transition.
Next up, the Mavs will fly back to Dallas for what will be their only home preseason game against the Orlando Magic on Friday night. The game will tip-off at American Airlines Center at 7:30 p.m. CT.
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