3 Thoughts From Mavericks' Preseason Loss to Pelicans

The Dallas Mavericks were back in Texas after two games in China to start the preseason. They'd face another divisional opponent, the New Orleans Pelicans, in this matchup, but they sat a lot of key pieces.

Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, Jett Howard, Morez Johnson Jr., Santi Aldama, and Marcus Sasser were all out.

The Pelicans, meanwhile, played almost all of their key players besides Deandre Jordan and Dejounte Murray. So, how did the short-handed Mavs do against the Pels?

They mostly hung in there, falling 101-97, but they were outscored in each of the first three quarters. The starters were mostly unimpressive, as not a single one was in double figures. P.J. Washington was 0/5 from the floor, Zaccharie Risacher was 3/11, Naji Marshall was 2/5... Not much offense from the starting group.

Luckily, rookie Tobi Lawal provided a huge boost off the bench with 16 points, going a perfect 8/8 at the line.

With that said, here are three takeaways from this preseason loss.

Oct 14, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg in street clothes on the bench during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Better Hope Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving Don't Miss Too Many Games

It's hard to take too much away from this game. It's the preseason, and Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving were out. While head coach Dusty May said Friday would be more of a dress rehearsal, this at least gave a look at the depth.

Let's just hope there aren't many games that Irving and Flagg aren't playing at all. There's just so little shot-making without them, and the playmaking that the two bring makes it hard for anyone else to get going without it.

Irving has never been the most durable player and may sit on most back-to-backs, so that puts a lot of pressure on Flagg and the Mavericks' training staff.

Moussa Cisse Makes His Case

Moussa Cisse got to roll with the starting unit in this game and looked much more comfortable. With a lot of talk this week about the Mavs possibly moving on from him to make room for Dwight Powell, Cisse impressed with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks, including four offensive rebounds.

Cisse did tweak his ankle, and with it being the preseason, the Mavericks didn't want to push it.

That's understandable, but Cisse might have done enough in his 16 minutes to show that he needs a place on this roster.

Oct 14, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Sergio de Larrea (55) in action during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sergio De Larrea Continues to Stand Out

The lack of playmaking in this game put extra pressure on Sergio De Larrea. It would've been nice to see him with the starters, but he still played 30 minutes, putting up 10 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds.

He did have four turnovers, which will be something to watch as we get into the regular season, as he likes tougher passes and will struggle with physicality at times, but he's still a lot of fun.

One of my biggest concerns entering the season was playmaking off the bench, and De Larrea may have just enough to make it work.

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