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All-Access Practice: Mavs notebook on the Porzingis 'unveiling' and Dallas' first-day focus

All-Access Practice: Mavs notebook on the Porzingis 'unveiling' and Dallas' first-day focus
Mike Fisher|
All-Access Practice: Mavs notebook on the Porzingis 'unveiling' and Dallas' first-day focus
All-Access Practice: Mavs notebook on the Porzingis 'unveiling' and Dallas' first-day focus

DALLAS - I like the way DBcom's Dalton Trigg phrased it when detailing the return to the court of Kristaps Porzingis. Of course, part of the "return'' will arrive in an upcoming preseason game. Another part of the "return'' will be the start of the NBA regular season. But Tuesday marked a "return'' as well - and a "debut,'' as the Dallas Mavericks first training camp workout unveiled a "new'' KP.

What Trigg writes: February 6, 2018, is a day that Kristaps Porzingis will never forget. With the New York Knicks trailing by two points early in the second quarter, Porzingis went up for a go-ahead dunk against Milwaukee Bucks superstar and now-league-MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Porzingis finished the slam over Antetokounmpo, but landed awkwardly on his left leg, resulting in a devastating ACL tear that would temporarily derail his young and promising career.

Yes, that is a day KP will never forget ... but would he like to?

All of this is part of our notebook Inside Mavs Practice:

UNVEILING KP: Almost exactly one year after the KP injury, the Dallas Mavericks and the Knicks executed a blockbuster trade that would seem to change the course of both franchises for the foreseeable future. 

That future is now, Porzingis having added 20 pounds of muscle between his rookie year and now, his weight up to 242.

“I can’t even explain in words how excited I am,” Porzingis said this week, noting that the weight-room stuff continues to be a work in progress, a "non-stop'' thing. “It’s been a long time. For me, I wanted to come back early this offseason so I can get a feel for the game.

That time is now. Porzingis has already talked about the trust he has in the way Carlisle will work with him and "put him in position to succeed.'' On Tuesday, that was largely about effort on defense - for KP and the rest of the squad.

 "I feel great,'' KP said. "In my mind I always wanted to come back when I was 100 percent. I didn’t want to halfway do it – maybe I’m good, maybe I’m not ... So I made sure I'm 100-percent healthy." 

I wonder of Porzingis - as awful as that injury was - will be better as a result of it, and in that sense, wants to not "forget it'' but rather, to build on it. Either way ... Hopefully, the "nightmare'' for Mavs opponents is just beginning, here, with the KP unveiling.

Summarized Rick: “It’s Porzingis’ first real practice from start to finish in quite some time. And he did terrific. A very positive first day. Good energy.''

THE TUESDAY FOCUS: My job,'' said Carlisle, well-aware of the tests in the West, "is to prepare these guys to fight their ass off.''

He believes this group has the mental makeup to "fight'' that way. Tuesday's practice session was all about that. ... starting with a defensive focus.

“We really are just trying to keep it as simple as possible,'' he said. "(It’s been a) shorter training camp the last two years. If you try doing too much stuff, you can create confusion and shoot yourself in the foot. And you don’t want to do that.”

BUDDY SYSTEM: As always, assorted Mavs pair off when it's time for free-throw shooting and shooting contests. Maybe no one is more "into'' these contests than Dwight Powell, who is conscientious and polite in so many ways ... but competitive and at least mock-emotional when it comes to winning and losing these contests.

Jalen Brunson is his foe here. Emotional, I tell you.

By the way, Rick said of Dwight, "He’s constant energy, force, and he brings  intangible team elements to the equation. He’s physical. And I think him and KP together makes sense from the standpoint of a physical guy next to KP is good for our team."

Is that a hint that Powell is being penciled in next to Porzingis in the starting lineup? Yup.

TALENTS TO MIAMI: We have the at-the-moment coverage of the Mavs players' offseason trip to Miami here ... and we have more info trickling in about how it all came together and what went down. For certain, the coach is a fan of it all.

“The players took it upon themselves to do that, and that’s a great step toward getting closer together, learning about each other,” Carlisle said. “And it’s pretty clear that these guys see the challenge of this season as something that they want to take on together, which is the way it’s going to have to be in the West.”

INJURY UPDATE: The Mavs went in thinking they wouldn't have Delon Wright available for a few days as he deals with a hamstring. (That story and Delon as a "winner'' is here.) 

But Delon did practice on a limited basis and did meet the media as well.

"It feels good,” Wright said of his hammy. “I just tweaked it a little bit. It’s been about a week and a day. I’m looking to come back soon. I’m still moving around.”

Meanwhile, J.J. Barea told me he'd be a go "from Day One,'' and indeed, he was a participant. My one-on-one with JJB is here:

Porzingis, as noted above, worked fully. Tim Hardaway Jr., also coming off a leg injury, did the same, and Rick was careful to praise Hardaway for being "an important player for us,'' and even agreeing with the suggestion from Tim that he might end up being the third wheel behind Luka and KP.

“I don’t have any problem with it at all,'' said Rick when asked about the idea of Luka/KP as heirs to Nash/Dirk - and Hardaway as "their Finley.'' "But these guys are their own people. Luka and Kristaps, they’re making their own history here now."

I will continue to suggest, as I do here in my "Three Things That Must Go Right,'' (click here) that Rick's third wheel may even up changing on a nightly basis ... and that isn't necessarily the sign of depth and strength the club pretends it is.

And no, I cannot squint tightly enough to see Hardaway as Fin. But that'd sure be nice.

QUOTABLE: “I’ve had pressure since I was 16,'' said Luka when asked about the Dirk Nowitzki-centric torch-passing. "I like pressure.”

RING'S THE THING: Delon Wright spent half of last season with Toronto and the Raptors went on to win the NBA championship. So ...

“They say I’ll get one,” he said. “And I’ll gladly accept it. I wouldn’t wear it around, saying I’m a champion. But I’m glad to (have been) a part of that team. And I’m happy for those guys.”

BY THE NUMBERS: Rick Carlisle says his Mavs' 3-point shots will likely increase from the club-record 3,000-plus they took last season. Indeed, his confidence in this team's abilities on the offensive end is the reasoning behind the aforementioned defensive focus.

But always remember: Records for shots taken are lovely - but not lovely enough unless they are accompanied by records for shots made.

And then there is this:

Sometimes, offense and defense, done right, go together hand-in-hand. 

MAVSCELLANEOUS: The professionalism of Jalen Brunson is rather remarkable. We detail some of that in "Mavs Tuesday Donuts: Where does 'Impressive Summer' Brunson fit into backcourt plans?'' and then some of it, you just have to see in person. He's a cool customer. ... Porzingis said he was tempted to play one game with Dirk Nowitzki last season before The UberMan retired: "I was super-tempted to play in the last 10, 15 games,'' KP said. "But I’m glad I had a chance to play against him. He was one of my idols growing up. To have that experience was great." ... We all continue to have our fun with the new NBA mandate to get players' heights right. And it is nice that there is now a standard, no fudging. But it's created media-fueled arguments about a quarter-of-an-inch here and a centimeter there and, well, it's not that serious, y'all. ... Brad Townsend notes that the Mavs have promoted Dionne Calhoun to head athletic trainer while promoting Casey Smith to a position where he oversees all medical areas as director of player health and performance. ... Carlisle praised undrafted third-year guy Dorian Finney-Smith as someone who should've been a top-15 pick (cool!) and adds that DFS could play some 5 this year when Dallas goes small (cool, but why would Dallas opt to go that small?) ... The Mavericks will have six days of practice to start this camp, the finale of which will be the "Fan Jam'' open practice for fans on Oct. 6. They will start the preseason with a two-game trip that begins Oct. 8 against Oklahoma City in Tulsa. ... Said Carlisle: “We had a great first day. 

THE FINAL WORD: "I wouldn’t trade Luka Doncic for anybody.'' - Rick Carlisle, full story here.

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks since 1990. He has for more than 20 years served as the overseer of DallasBasketball.com, the granddaddy of Mavs news websites.

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