LAS VEGAS — The Dallas Mavericks' NBA Summer League team has not played their best basketball so far during the tournament. Still, the team has displayed signs of potential with assistant coach Jared Dudley leading the way as Summer League head coach. Dudley recently revealed the conversations he has had over the phone with Mavs regular season head coach Jason Kidd.
“I call him after every game,” Dudley told reporters on Tuesday. “We talk about different stuff… The challenge of the first game, being up 10, when to use your timeouts… What you could have potentially done differently rotation-wise. Who should play a little bit more, who should play a little bit less.”
The Mavs' Summer League team is 0-3. They were most recently defeated by the Miami Heat 92-79. On Monday, Dallas lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 108-88.
The Mavericks' Monday defeat saw the team finish the game with 27 turnovers in a forgettable effort.
“After last game (Monday), I mean, we kind of had to laugh it off,” Dudley continued. “Sometimes it's something so embarrassing it can be funny. They (Grizzlies) literally had seven to nine steals in the backcourt just ripping one-on-one. That is one of the most rarest things that you see… You might see it one time a game. We saw it seven or eight. I got to do a better job of putting in your screens, different people bringing the ball up and seeing who can, which we worked on here today (on Tuesday at practice).
“Overall, that game, when you have 27 turnovers, you're not beating anyone.”
NBA Summer League players looking to earn roles with Mavericks
Olivier-Maxence Prosper has an opportunity to earn a role with the Mavs. He has endured his share of ups and downs so far in the NBA Summer League.
“With O-Max (Prosper)… Let's have him focus more on defense,” Dudley said. “Offense is just a flow. You know the good shot, bad shot. Take the step back out, be the best defensive player so we can get you on the court. Once you get on the court and a coach can trust you, then you can slowly take more baby steps to improve your offensive game.”
Players such as AJ Lawson, Alex Fudge, and 2024 second-round pick Melvin Ajinca have also drawn attention. The Mavericks' Summer League roster is intriguing despite the team's underwhelming win-loss record. It would not be surprising to see some of these players end up impacting the regular season team at some point down the road.
At the moment, Dallas is focused on trying to end the 2024 NBA Summer League on a high note. Jared Dudley, who has interest in becoming a head coach someday, will continue to discuss the team with Jason Kidd. Learning from Kidd will only help Dudley moving forward as he hopes to establish himself as a future head coaching candidate.
The Mavs' next Summer League game is scheduled for Friday in an NBA Finals rematch against the Boston Celtics in Las Vegas.
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