A Mavericks NBA2K23 Summer League Overview
(Jeff Bottari/NBAE via Getty Images)
Prior to the first Summer League game, most people were eager to see Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren debut. However, the Dallas Mavericks' front office and fans were hyped to see Jaden Hardy hit the floor. Beyond the debut of their golden draft pick, the NBA2K23 Summer League was an excellent opportunity for Dallas to find prospects to fill out a bench that is desperate for a spark.
The Mavericks' summer league roster was filled almost exclusively with rookie players, with standouts A.J. Lawson and Jerrick Harding putting up impressive stat lines alongside Hardy throughout the tournament. Lawson and Hardy came out blazing in their first game versus the Chicago Bulls, dropping 28 points each. Although the game resulted in a loss, it was still a great showing for the Mavericks because it went into overtime, and they only lost by one point. Lawson was very impressive in his debut, shooting 6-for-11 from the three-point line and grabbing five rebounds.
In game two, Jerrick Harding led the team in scoring with 18 points, while Lawson scored 15 points on 50 percent shooting from the three-point line and 6-for-11 from the field. Hardy followed with 14 points, albeit on a weak 4-for-15 shooting performance from the field. Hardy also led the team in turnovers, but in Hardy’s off game, we got to see Derrick Alston Jr. score 13 points on 80 percent efficiency. The Mavericks lost by one point again, but there was still anticipation for the next game.
Game three was not pretty for the Mavericks, to say the least. The Phoenix Suns controlled the game from start to finish. Tight defense pressured the Mavericks into contested and bad shots, and in the first quarter, it took them almost six minutes to score their second basket. Dallas shot 33 percent from the floor to end the game, and Hardy struggled again with his efficiency, shooting 4-for-15 from the floor.
The next two games were consistent with the Mavericks' play for the whole tournament at this point, leaving them with a final record of 0-5. Lawson, who showed out last week, recently signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, an excellent pick-up for an already young Timberwolves team. I hoped that the Mavericks front office would give Lawson a contract because of his height at the guard position and the flashes he showed as a shooter and ball handler. Lawson could've been a great option off the bench to pair alongside Hardy and Christian Wood, and with the needs at point guard still unaddressed, the talent pool is shrinking.
Harding remains unsigned and could be an option for the backup point guard role, but it's unclear if the Mavericks are considering signing Harding. Overall we saw a decent performance from this Mavericks group. Hardy showed flashes of great scoring potential on the next level; however, the same inefficiencies that caused him to fall on draft night were seen during the summer league.
