Mavericks First-Round Pick Bounces Back From Rough First FIBA World Cup Performance

Sergio De Larrea was much better in the second game of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Jun 29, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; New Dallas Mavericks’ head coach Dusty May answers questions from the media during an introductory press conference at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dallas Mavericks first-round pick Sergio De Larrea had a rough first showing in the ongoing FIBA World Cup qualifiers, going scoreless in a loss to Portugal on Friday. He was an elite playmaker during the NBA Summer League, but had just two assists and three turnovers in 11 minutes, putting up a ghastly -20.

De Larrea wanted to get by that as quickly as possible, and Spain was back in action on Monday afternoon against Greece for their second qualifying win.

Spain lost once again, this time falling 108-106, but De Larrea had a much better performance this time around, scoring 9 points on a perfect 3/3 shooting from behind the arc. He added two rebounds, an assist, and two turnovers, but was still a -9.

The shooting was good to see from De Larrea, as he struggled to shoot in the Summer League in Las Vegas, going just 4/20 in the four games he played.

Shooting was supposed to be one of his strong suits, so this is more of what Mavericks fans wanted to see, even if it resulted in a loss for Spain.

Spain was led in scoring by Joel Parra off the bench with 18 points, but OKC Thunder draft pick Aday Mara wasn't far behind, putting up 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Greece had two of the Antetokounmpo brothers, Thanasis and Kostas, but they didn't contribute that much.

In the end, it was a former Maverick who tied for the game-high, as Tyler Dorsey put up 29 points on 7/17 shooting. He made 5 three-pointers and was a perfect 10/10 at the free-throw line. Many won't remember him, but he starred at Oregon, then played all of three games for the Mavs in the 2022-23 season while on a two-way contract. He was waived that December, and it was his final stop in the NBA.

Dorsey also spent time with the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA.

Next Opportunity for Sergio De Larrea

All of these minutes are huge for De Larrea, as he needs to get used to playing against more physical competition. While his passing was superb in the Summer League, he was often thrown off his spot by more physical and bigger defenders.

It's only natural for a 20-year-old lanky guard to need more weight. Getting in NBA facilities will go a long way toward helping that, but these games against the best players across the world also help.

Spain doesn't have any more games scheduled yet for these qualifiers, but they should've had enough points coming in to still qualify for the main event.

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