The Mavericks’ Tuesday adjustment is measured rather than dramatic. Houston is taking up more of the preparation board ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, yet Dallas is still spending most of its time confronting the habits that made the preseason uneven.
May estimated the split at roughly 80-85% focused on Dallas and 15-20% on the Rockets. The previous week had been closer to 90-95% Dallas work and 5% opponent preparation. That change makes sense with the regular season arriving, but it also gives Dallas a chance to use Houston as a stress test instead of treating the opponent as a separate subject.
The Rockets finished last season 52-30 and bring the kind of ball pressure and rebounding that can turn small handling errors into long defensive possessions. Dallas’ Tuesday priorities are correspondingly basic: enter actions sooner, make the first catch cleanly, get the ball out quickly and advance it by pass.
Basic is doing a lot of work there. A poor first catch can force an offense to begin several feet farther from its intended spot. A slow outlet lets pressure travel with the ball.
Waiting for Cooper Flagg or Kyrie Irving to create an answer against a settled defense is an expensive way to run a possession. The better response is collective, and it has to appear before either high-profile creator is asked to improvise.
Flagg’s own Tuesday assessment fits that broader concern. Dallas finished the preseason 1-3, and the lineup combinations remain under examination. He also described the partnership with Irving as something that still requires learning—playing off each other and finding ways to create advantages together.
Irving has played in two preseason games since returning from the left ACL injury he suffered in March 2025, which leaves the pairing with a small recent sample rather than a settled identity.
Flagg brings substantial production to that unfinished picture. As a rookie, his 70 games yielded averages of 4.5 assists, 21.0 points and 6.7 rebounds while winning Rookie of the Year. In Friday’s 135-111 defeat against Atlanta, he added 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 30 minutes.
Those performances make him an important part of Dallas’ solution. They do not make him responsible for repairing every possession around him.
