DALLAS — Max Christie started the most games at shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks last season, but coach Dusty May said Friday he does not look at Christie, or anyone else in that group, as a shooting guard. May spoke at the team’s media day at American Airlines Center, the day before training camp opens.
Christie averaged 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 74 games last season, shooting 44.1% from the field in 29.1 minutes a night. Dallas added Zaccharie Risacher and Marcus Sasser in July trades.
May sees Christie as a player who can handle the ball, play on the wing, shoot, defend, and drive in a straight line. He explained that the staff wants to blend its guards rather than set them against each other, with an eye on who closes games.
“I think we have healthy competition at every spot. And I don’t look at any of those guys as a shooting guard,” May said. “I think Max can be a primary handler at times. I think he can be a swing player. He obviously has a skill set that’s unique where I think he shoots the ball well. He’s a good defender and he’s really fast as a straight-line driver. So I think we just have to do a great job of blending all of their unique traits and talents together and not look at it as this guy versus that guy.”
“It’s more of these three guys playing really, really well together. Who else can complement them? And then what’s our closing lineup?” May continued. “Because we want to be equipped to win any style. Fast game, slow game, a game where it’s just mucked up. Whatever it is, we need to be equipped to win that game. So it’s more finding guys that complement each other versus this guy versus that guy.”
Dusty May On Transition And Rebounding
Thursday was the first day May had his entire roster in one setting, and he called the summer a lot of trial and error. He noted that the game has moved away from traditional positions.
“The early point of emphasis has been getting to know them and learn their games and see how they fit together, look at the different combinations and small groups,” May explained. “It’s been a lot of trial and error and experimentation this summer. But the game has moved so far away from forwards and centers and guards. And we want guys who play basketball well and efficiently, and I think we have a team that does that.”
Size, length, youth, and energy are what May sees in this roster, and he wants those traits to show up in transition and on the glass at both ends. He acknowledged the rotation is not set.
“Well, there’s natural advantages with each group. Obviously, this team, we have size, we have length, we have youth, we have good energy. And so that naturally lends itself to playing in transition,” May said. “And these guys have done well playing in transition up to this point in practice or in workouts. And also on dominating the glass. Really putting an emphasis on rebounding the ball on both ends. The offensive side of it, you’re going to get more opportunities to score. And then defensively, it starts your break to play in transition, which you naturally do well.”
“But we’re still learning those things. We don’t know what our rotation is going to be yet,” May added. “Obviously, there’s a couple foundational pieces here. But other than that, who complements each other well, who plays well together, there’s a lot more nuance to the NBA than college games, so we’re still figuring that out.”
Christie explained that playing fast under May starts in transition, with no walking the ball up after makes or misses. In the half-court, he said, the rule is quick decisions.
“I think a lot of it falls in transition, first and foremost. I think that’s kind of where it starts. I know he doesn’t want to walk the ball up on makes and misses. We want to be able to get out and then run,” Christie said. “That creates mismatches for the defense, allows us to get easier opportunities to score. And then on the half-court, too, playing faster just means making quicker decisions. Catch, shoot, pass, one of those has to be made, and point-five, we call it.”
Dusty May On Morez Johnson Jr.’s Fit
Morez Johnson Jr., the ninth overall pick, played for May at Michigan. May said he does not know Johnson’s position yet, but he credited Johnson’s adaptability and physicality and expects him to earn rotation minutes.
“Just on the court, impacting winning. I don’t know. I know one of the things that makes him so valuable is he checks a lot of boxes,” May said. “Whatever that moment needs or whatever that game needs or team needs, he’s adaptable. He transformed his game last year for us because of his adaptability. But the things that make Rez are still his tenacity, his heart, his physicality, doing whatever it takes to win and assist his teammates. And so I don’t know the specifics yet what position we’re in, but I think he’ll find a way to be in the rotation and back in winning.”
Dallas plays the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11. The regular season opens Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT.
