Coach says MAVS’ system of play ‘adaptable’

By Josh Ortega

One game rarely can tell a story about how a season will play out. Through the first three opening games of the 2026/27 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves 1-2 to start the season as a new era of Mavs basketball begins under first-year Head Coach Dusty Mays. 

Unless there just happens to be a time machine somewhere, there is no telling how the Mavericks’ season will play out come early April. However, here are a handful of takeaways that have popped up through the first three games that could play a big factor throughout the season.

Points may come from the paint rather than 

from three.

Since the start of the 2020’s shooting from beyond the arc in the NBA has risen throughout time. During the NBA’s 75th anniversary in 2021, the league released data that showed how 3-point percentage shots began to jump at the cost of mid-range looks from player data. Nonetheless, the marriage of data and what happens on the floor is tricky. In his opening press conference, Mays spoke on his system being “adaptable” and not being “married” to a particular system on both sides of the floor. 

That doesn’t mean however, the Mavs can’t be specialists in one form of offense. For example, from the Mavs opening day loss to Houston, the team attempted 42 shots in the first half, 27 were from 3-point range only six went in. On the flip side, Houston outscored Dallas 32-14 in the paint. Coming out of the locker room, Dallas flipped the script, with the Mavericks outscoring Houston 38-18 in the paint while knocking down 27 of its 37 shots from the field. 

In Saturday’s home opener in the American Airlines Center, the points in the paint played a pivotal role in the Mavs keeping up with the visiting San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks scored 62 points from the paint in the first half alone. Dallas racked up 46 points, notably without Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, who both missed the game due to injury. In the Mavericks lone win of the season against Indiana, the team scored 50 points in the paint. 

Ultimately, as part of Mays’s plans for the team’s identity, the Mavs want to be a team that can adapt to whatever is thrown at them. So far, through three games, the paint seems like a place Dallas “will have to live in” to keep up with opponents. 

Marshall and De Larrea could fuel points off 

the bench. 

In an offseason full of turnover, Dallas Mavericks General Manager and Team President Masai Ujiri prioritized adding to the roster while retaining key pieces of what made the franchise successful from the previous regime. One of the many guys the Mavericks front office made sure to hold onto was seventh-year guard Naji Marshall. The front office handed Marshall a 3-year, $52.2 million fully guaranteed contract extension in August. Entering his third season in Dallas, Marshall was a huge bright spot in scoring for the Mavs, averaging double figures in each season while in North Texas. So far this season, Marshall has been on the floor coming off the bench. His consistency in scoring and getting to the rim has been a major bright spot when the early results have not gone Dallas’ way. Marshall finished with 15+ points in Dallas’ opening two games while scoring 10 points against the Spurs in the home opener. Mavs fans know well what he can do as a secondary ball handler. Having a consistent scorer off the bench in the NBA is something not every team has. Dallas locked up their best guy off the bench in the offseason and, so far, it’s paying dividends when Marshall is on the floor. 

Another key emerger off the bench has been rookie guard Sergio De Larrea. The 2026 first-round pick had a nice preseason in the Summer League. After a mixed bag in the opening two games, De Larrea exploded against the Spurs. 

He finished his night against the defending NBA Western Conference champions with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting, in 33 minutes on the floor. Against the Spurs, De Larrea was automatic, driving to the basket and shooting from beyond the arc. De Larrea showcased his skills as a facilitator with four assists and five rebounds. With Kyrie Irving still ramping up coming back from a major injury, and Cooper Flagg dealing with a shoulder injury, De Larrea emerging early on could easily toss him into the rotation more, giving Dallas another ball handler to run the offense. 

The glimpse of Flagg and Irving has been encouraging.

The saying good things come to those who wait rings true when it comes to seeing Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg (pictured) on the floor together. Dallas has been waiting to see the two superstars on the floor together since Flagg was drafted to the organization in 2025. The duo combined for 47 points on the floor against Houston in game one, despite a rocky start, with the game being Irving’s first true action since suffering a serious knee injury and not playing for a whole season. This duo, based on the film, has the basis to be among some of the best in the NBA.