Dusty May Says the Mavericks’ Turnovers Need a Coaching Fix

Dusty May’s assessment of Dallas’ 101-97 preseason loss to New Orleans eventually landed where it needed to: some of the turnover problem belongs to the coaching staff. The Mavericks coach pointed to illegal screens, limited offensive variety and poor spacing, while also acknowledging that his players must stay composed when pressure turns an ordinary possession into a hurried one.

That distinction matters after a game in which Dallas did plenty of work to earn extra chances and then gave away too many chances to use them. New Orleans scored 27 points after Dallas surrendered possession through 27 turnovers.

Dallas still had a path to the finish, but the Pelicans left American Airlines Center with the result because so many possessions ended before the offense could make New Orleans defend a complete action.

The loss came in an unusual setting. Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg were rested, several other players were unavailable, and the Mavericks were home from the China Games, with a flight lasting 18 hours and fewer than 48 hours to recover before playing. May described the veterans who traveled as a step slow after the trip.

That context belongs in the account, especially for a preseason group filled with young players, but it does not make 27 turnovers harmless.

Dallas controlled the glass. Dallas won the rebounding battle and produced 27 points from second chances, against 10 for New Orleans. Those advantages gave Dallas a source of recovery when its shooting failed.

Instead, the Pelicans scored 23 fast-break points to the Mavericks’ eight and produced 50 points in the paint. The sequence is revealing: Dallas was winning the rebound battle, then losing the next phase of the possession battle.

May’s comments identify a problem the players cannot solve by simply trying harder. New Orleans’ physical pressure sped Dallas into drives against cramped spacing, but Dallas also made the floor difficult for itself. May specifically cited illegal screens.

The first-half play-by-play separately records offensive fouls involving Max Christie, John Poulakidas and Moussa Cissé, without classifying all of those fouls as screens. A screen that arrives in the wrong place or at the wrong time does more than draw a whistle; it can erase the advantage the action was supposed to create.

Sergio de Larrea’s night captured the tension between promise and control. He played 30 minutes, handed out six assists and made two of three attempts from beyond the arc. He also committed five turnovers.

New Orleans deserves credit for the physical defense May described, yet the staff has a role in giving a young guard clearer outlets when the first option is covered. A possession that asks the ballhandler to improvise through a clogged lane is already flirting with trouble.

Dallas’ fourth-quarter push showed why the game cannot be reduced to a complaint about youth. The Mavericks entered the period trailing 75-63 and won the quarter 34-26. De Larrea’s 26-foot 3-pointer with 7:40 remaining helped start the chase, and Tarik Biberovic followed with an 11-foot pull-up to cut further into the deficit.

But with 2:45 left, Poulakidas was called for an offensive foul that became another Dallas turnover. New Orleans then made enough free throws and late shots to keep the comeback from becoming a tie game.

Poulakidas and Tobi Lawal each scored 16 points, giving Dallas useful production from the second unit. Lawal committed no turnovers and went 8-for-8 at the foul line, though his sixth foul removed him late. The bench scored 70 points compared with 27 from the starters, so the supporting cast was not merely filling minutes.

Still, young players have to resist the spiral that follows a bad pass or an offensive foul: one mistake cannot dictate the next decision.

Shooting made the margin less forgiving. Dallas converted 10 of its 49 attempts from 3-point range, while Zaccharie Risacher missed all seven of his shots from outside and finished with six points. That was also a credit to New Orleans’ defense, particularly the pressure applied to Risacher.

Missed jumpers can be survived because they allow a team to organize its defense. A turnover gives away the shot and can give the opponent a runway.

This was a depleted exhibition lineup, and Dallas still made the final minutes competitive. The Pelicans also committed 21 turnovers, which helped keep the door ajar. There is no need to turn one preseason loss into a verdict on the regular-season rotation.

The immediate correction is narrower and more practical: every Dallas drive needs one clear lane, one dependable outlet and enough distance between the other three players for the first read to remain visible.

Sources

ESPN: box score and play-by-play

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