Dusty May's Goals for Mavericks in Preseason Games Against Rockets

Dusty May is getting ready for his first taste of NBA coaching.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Mavericks are getting ready for two preseason games against the Houston Rockets at the Venetian Arena in Macao, China.

There is a lot that the Mavericks are still figuring out about their team under new head coach Dusty May, as this will be his first time coaching in the NBA, even if it's just preseason games. This is the perfect time for him to get used to this style of basketball.

May was asked about what he's focusing on in his first NBA coaching experience by NBC.

"Anytime there's an exhibition, we've always used it as an opportunity to grow and get better, look at different lineup combinations," May said. "You want to play well, you want to win each possession and every drill, but we're realistic about what we want to get accomplished, so we're much more concerned with the things we've worked on up to this point and our competitive spirit as we build and layer, we'll worry more about the details later on."

Although the preseason is starting, the Mavericks really only had about a week of training camp practices, so these games will be big for learning about the team.

Arguably, the biggest thing they can figure out is the starting lineup. A few spots are up for grabs as the Mavericks look to find the best combinations next to Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.

There is always going to be a learning process with a new coach, especially one coming from college, as he looks to install a new offense and defense. That'll be the most fascinating part to watch for me, even if they'll do a lot of experimenting in these games.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Other Things to Watch to Macao

What most fans are excited for is the return of Kyrie Irving. He last played in March 2025 before tearing his ACL, causing him to miss the entire 2025-26 season as the Mavericks were playing poorly.

It's still the preseason, but it'll be interesting to see how much he plays in these games. He's obviously close to Rockets star Kevin Durant, but he's still a 34-year-old coming off a major injury and hasn't played in 19 months.

There will be a mix of wanting to knock the rust off but not wanting to overuse him in a meaningless game.

The integration of rookies Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio De Larrea will be fascinating to watch as well.

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