New Mavericks head coach Dusty May talks team identity

With the offseason and free agency in full swing, the Dallas Mavericks have begun to reshape their roster with the additions of  Santi Aldama and the likely addition of Marcus Sasser once the league-wide moratorium on signings ends on July 6. Newly minted head coach Dusty May is also rumored to be adding former New Orleans Pelicans head coach, Willie Green to his staff for the upcoming season. There will undoubtedly be more tweaks to come, all of which will shed light on what the Mavericks will look like come October – and by extension, their play style.

Removing some of the guesswork is none other than May himself. In a recent sit-down with Mavericks’ Chief Communications Officer, Gina Miller, May detailed exactly what his expectations are for the team going forward.

Advertisement

There were three specific comments that indicate the foundation the new-look Mavericks will be built on.

“I want us to play with top-five pace”

This should be music to the ears of Mavs’ fans. The Dallas offense often looked dysfunctional last season, and while some of that was due to injuries and personnel changes, there is no disguising the fact the Mavs could barely participate in a critical part of modern NBA basketball – the three-point shot.

The Mavericks were ranked 26th in the league in three-point percentage at 34.4% (just 0.4% above last place) and 27th in the league in three-point attempts per game at 31.9 (fewer than two attempts per game above last place). The Mavs ranked 23rd in points per game with 114.1.

Advertisement

Dallas is clearly looking to get younger, more athletic and versatile with the additions of Aldama and Sasser, along with rumors of interest in Anfernee Simons, so it’s becoming clear how the roster moves align with May’s vision.

“Defensively; to be incredibly competitive”

A renewed interest in defense will be a welcome sight in Dallas. The Mavs showed flashes last season, but far too often were exposed repeatedly. It wasn’t necessarily for lack of trying or interest, but once again injuries played a part along with personnel that were not always up to the task.

The Mavericks gave up 119.6 points per game,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/mavericks-head-coach-dusty-may-200000501.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-07-03 20:00:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.