‘He’s Got A Great Feel’: Dusty May Details What Santi Aldama Adds To Dallas Mavericks’ Spacing
DALLAS — Santi Aldama is probable for his Dallas Mavericks debut Friday night against the Utah Jazz, and Mavericks coach Dusty May said before tip-off that the 7-footer’s spacing and feel will help Dallas’ offense.
Aldama has shot 34.6% from three-point range in 278 career games, all with the Memphis Grizzlies. He made 36.8% of his threes on 5.0 attempts per game in 2024-25. Last season, before right knee surgery on March 17 ended his year, he shot 35.0% from deep on 4.7 attempts and averaged 14.0 points in 27.9 minutes.
On nights when Dallas is struggling to score and has not found an offensive rhythm, May expects Aldama to play more minutes than he would when the offense is clicking. The Mavericks have not mapped out minute ranges for several players, May said.
“It gives you more spacing. Obviously, he’s shot the ball at a high clip his entire life, and we have several guys that are gonna shoot it better,” May said. “Like, over 82 games, water finds its level, and they’re gonna shoot it much better than they have, two of our premier guys.”
“The thing with Santi, though, just his feel for the game and his ability to make a lot of the concepts and actions … He’s got a great feel,” May continued. “So he makes them make sense, and it seems like when he’s out there with any four guys, they function a little bit better because of the skill and feel for the game. And so that, along with the spacing and then the shot making, will be a nice addition.”
Dallas Mavericks Have Made 21 Of 70 Threes Over Two Games
Dallas went 7-of-33 from three-point range in Monday’s 115-100 home loss to the Sacramento Kings and missed its first 10 attempts. Through its first six games, the team had shot 35.0% from three on 37.2 attempts per game.
In Wednesday’s 112-111 loss at the San Antonio Spurs, the Mavericks went 14-of-37 from deep. Kyrie Irving went 5-of-14, and P.J. Washington went 3-of-8. Naji Marshall made all 3 of his attempts off the bench, while Cooper Flagg missed all 3 of his.
After the Sacramento loss, May said Dallas did a nice job getting to the free-throw line, one of the areas a team has to win on a night when shots are not falling. Walter Clayton Jr. made 4 of the 7 threes.
“Just keep preparing the right way and keep believing and having faith, and your time will come,” May explained. “So, just, 82-game season, we’re confident that water is going to find its level on our shooters.”
Santi Aldama Faces Utah Jazz, The Team That Drafted Him
Utah selected Aldama 30th overall in 2021 and traded his rights to Memphis on draft night. His last game came Feb. 4, and Dallas acquired him in a six-team trade on July 8. He sat out all four preseason games and the first eight games of the regular season.
For a while, Dallas could set minutes for Aldama and others game to game and quarter by quarter, May said. He described that approach as not easy for the players or the staff.
“We’re just discussing that. We’re going back and forth. We want to see him play, but obviously he hasn’t played five-on-five with the main guys yet,” May said. “So that’s going to be literally an in-game decision.”
The Jazz (1-7) are without Jaren Jackson Jr. (right MCL tear) and Jusuf Nurkić (right second plantar plate tear). Dallas has Dereck Lively II out after right foot surgery.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center in the Mavericks’ second NBA Cup group game.
