Mavericks Practice Observations: Klay Thompson Leads Shooting Drills, Key Takeaways, and Injury Updates
Klay Thompson leads shooting drills in Mavericks practice while mentoring young players. Key takeaways include lineup evaluations, injury updates, and more.
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks continued preparations for the regular season with another practice on Saturday ahead of their preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Following a 107-102 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday, the team focused on addressing key areas while navigating injuries that have affected their training camp.
Head coach Jason Kidd provided updates on several players, including Luka Dončić (left calf contusion) and P.J. Washington (left hip tightness). Both participated in Saturday’s practice, with Dončić limited to non-contact drills.
“P.J. went through practice — he was good. Luka participated in the non-contact portion, so he was good too,” Kidd said. However, Kidd ruled Dončić out for Monday’s game against the Clippers. “I wouldn’t say Monday for sure, but we’ll see how things are progressing when we get back from L.A. We’ll probably have a better idea then.”
Dončić’s availability for Thursday’s preseason finale against the Milwaukee Bucks remains uncertain, with Kidd waiting for more clarity after the team’s return from Los Angeles. The team intends to use that final preseason game as a “dress rehearsal.”
The Mavericks will face former player Derrick Jones Jr., who signed with the Clippers in the offseason, for the first time since his departure from Dallas.
“We’re happy for him — Derrick, you know, signing a new deal. We would have loved to have him here, but he had no choice, and he did a lot for us,” Kidd said. “Now he’s with the Clippers, but right now we’re focused more on ourselves, just trying to get things right on both ends. We’ll dig into the details when the season starts.”
Injuries Disrupting Preseason
The Mavericks have been dealing with several injuries that have limited their ability to test full rotations and build team chemistry. In addition to Dončić and Washington, Maxi Kleber (left ankle sprain), Danté Exum (right wrist), Brandon Williams (right calf strain), and Kessler Edwards (left ankle sprain) are all still sidelined.
Kidd provided an update on Kleber’s recovery: “Status quo for now. We’re hoping to get him back on the court by the 18th. He’s been doing some good work on the court, so hopefully, he’ll be practicing by then.”
Observations from Saturday’s Practice
If you missed it, there are detailed notes about Friday’s practice on a separate edition of Dallas Hoops Journal. It’s ideal to read that one directly to see video clips, but for a quick summary for the sake of proper context — during Friday’s light practice, the Mavericks focused on reviewing film and cleaning up offensive and defensive principles after their game the previous day.
Due to the significant number of injuries, the team minimized contact drills on Friday. Dončić worked on individual drills, showing off his usual creativity, including a series of trick shots and a highlight-reel play where he kicked the ball into the basket from the corner. P.J. Washington and Brandon Williams continued their return to competition process by participating in 3-on-3 work with development coaches. The guards spent a lot of time in shooting drills, while the bigs worked in the paint.
Now, onto Saturday’s practice…
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Klay Thompson was back in action on the practice court and spent a lot of time with Jaden Hardy and A.J. Lawson in shooting drills. Thompson did mention that his back tightened up during Thursday’s loss against the Jazz. He wasn’t on the court during Friday’s open viewing portion of practice either. There isn’t concern about this.
This group’s workout was lengthy. They worked on many variations of attacking closeouts, corner drifts and shakeups, operating out of off-ball actions, and surely plenty more reporters did not observe outside of the viewing portion.
My exclusive interview with Hardy mentioned Thompson being a resource he has already tried to learn from. “A few times after practice, I’ve tried to get some shots up with him,” Hardy told Sportskeeda. “He’s one of the best shooters ever, so I watch his mechanics, footwork, and how he comes off screens into his shot.”
Assistant coach Sean Sweeney spent a lot of time working with Dereck Lively II, but when we observed practice, they were mostly focused on free throw shooting and repping out hooks. However, there was an intriguing sequence where Sweeney and Lively discussed shooting mechanics while taking mid-range jumpers.
Lively has improving his free throw shooting consistency high on his list of focuses for this season. He shot 54.2% from the line in his rookie season when including his 22 postseason performance. Sweeney has been working closely with Lively on this among many other important fundamental elements, which has carried over from last season and through summer workouts.
Spencer Dinwiddie often worked out with assistant coach Jared Dudley during his first stint with the Mavericks and has continued to do so in his return. They’ve gone through pre-game workouts already and were working together on their own basket during Saturday’s practice. They’ve worked a lot on footwork and approach on drives.
Including Tyson Chandler, a crew of assistant coaches worked on big man paint drills with Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, and Jamarion Sharp. Lively was not involved in this group during the portion we observed, but the three big men battled a lot in the post in what appeared to be a continuation of Friday’s interior-focused practice.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper spent plenty of time shooting, but specifically worked out of dribble handoffs. There was a heavy focus on his pull-up shooting in these actions, which is understandable. In a recent discussion with Dallas Hoops Journal, one NBA scout emphasized the long-term importance of Prosper establishing himself as more of a shooting threat to force on-ball defenders to have to go over screens. Right now, defenders are able to go under—making it more challenging for him to get to the rim.
Kyrie Irving was mostly shooting free throws on the chain net for what we got to see. He put in a lot of work in shooting drills on Friday, though.
Luka Dončić was not on the court during the portion we observed on Saturday, but he played a lot of 1-on-1 with Shammgod on Friday and looked like his usual self. The team appears to be taking a cautious approach with his recovery, which is certainly appropriate considering it’s preseason.
Evaluating Lineup Combinations
With only two preseason games remaining, the Mavericks are running out of time to finalize rotations. Jason Kidd plans to use the upcoming games to evaluate different lineup combinations, particularly at the point guard position with Danté Exum out for an extended period after undergoing wrist surgery.
“We have to be prepared,” Kidd said. “That’s what we’re looking at right now — who can handle the backup point guard [role] if Spencer [Dinwiddie] has to start.”
Dinwiddie, who has played in both starting and backup roles during the preseason, emphasized the importance of adapting to lineup changes. “It’s been good, being able to have different lineup combinations and getting a feel for playing with different people,” Dinwiddie said. “Once Luka comes back, that’s a drastic shift because he’s going to dominate the offense for sure.”
Another key figure in these lineup considerations is Jaden Hardy, who has shown promise in training camp. With several key players sidelined due to injuries, Hardy could see an expanded role. Kidd praised Hardy’s progress, highlighting his potential to be a crucial piece in the Mavericks’ rotation this season.
“With the injuries, Jaden could start, or he could be a key part of the rotation, depending on how things shake out,” Kidd said. “He’s had an incredible training camp so far, and we’re looking forward to him being a part of our rotation. As for his ceiling, there’s no cap. It’s all up to him and the work he puts in.”
The center position also remains a focus, with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford competing for the starting job. Each has received one start during the preseason, and Kidd has yet to decide who will open the regular season in the starting role.
“From an athleticism and length standpoint, Lively and Gafford are in a different category,” Dinwiddie said. “They block shots and play above the rim at a high level. I think we’ve got the best tandem lob threat and rim protection center group in the league.”
Team Camaraderie and Energy Earn Praise
Despite the injury concerns, Quentin Grimes praised the team’s energy and camaraderie.
“It’s been great. Everybody’s trying to get their rhythm back. Kyrie’s getting his rhythm back, a couple of guys are coming back, so it’s been all about focus and team camaraderie,” Grimes said. “Everybody’s up on the bench, and the energy’s been great. When the young guys come in, they make sure nobody’s knocking us down. The energy’s been on 10 every day.”
Grimes highlighted the impact of young players like Lively and Gafford, who have impressed him with their play in both practices and preseason games.
“D Live [Lively] and Daniel Gafford have been great in pick-and-roll defense, offense, defense — anything above the white square,” Grimes said.
Dinwiddie echoed Grimes’ sentiments about the team’s overall energy and commitment to featuring players like Thompson, who is adjusting to the Mavericks’ system after leaving Golden State.
“We’re trying to feature him and feed him, especially in the preseason, to get him going,” Dinwiddie said. “We’re just playing around the main guys, making sure they catch their rhythm. That’s what’s going to carry us as the season progresses.”
Accountability and Leadership Remain Themes
Grimes also spoke about the team’s culture of accountability, something Kidd stressed during practice.
“That’s just the culture here with the Mavs. Everyone, from Luka Dončić down to the 18th guy, is held accountable,” Kidd said. “If we’re not holding each other accountable, it’s hard to win in this league. Guys like Luka and Kai [Kyrie Irving] help set that standard.”
Irving has also been instrumental in guiding the team’s younger players, with Kidd praising Irving’s leadership style.
“Kyrie’s leadership is quiet but powerful. He’s a champion, he’s won, and everyone respects his game,” Kidd said. “He helps the younger guys by showing them how to get better and compete. He spends a lot of time with them, both on and off the court.”
What’s Next
The Mavericks will practice again on Sunday before heading to Los Angeles for Monday’s preseason game against the Clippers. With only two preseason games left before the regular season opener on Oct. 24, the Mavericks are working to finalize rotations and get players back to full health.
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