Mike

Miles Jr.

Miles Jr. held one of the Mavs’ two-way spots and was pretty good for them this summer. However, he hadn’t made an appearance during the preseason. This will open up a two-way spot for Dallas, and it won’t have much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Miles Jr. came into the game as questionable, but he’ll play through it on Saturday. He received a DNP- Coach’s Decision in their first game, so hopefully he’ll get the opportunity to see the floor in this one with Kyrie Irving (groin) and Seth Curry (illness) out.

It’s their second game in three days, and there’s no reason for Irving to play in this game if he isn’t 100%. He only played 14 minutes in their first exhibition, which isn’t surprising for a preseason game. This shouldn’t linger into the regular season if they manage it properly, so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t suit up. Morris only played six minutes in their first game and Miles Jr. didn’t play at all, so their potential absences shouldn’t impact much for Dallas in this game.

Lively didn’t record any defensive stats in Dallas’ final game of the summer, but he had a solid night overall. He’ll have some time to develop as an NBA-caliber big man, and working with Tyson Chandler should help. However, expecting Lively to be an impact fantasy big man as a rookie may be a bit much. Fellow rookies Olivier-Maxence Prosper (11/5/1/1) and Mike Miles Jr. (12/5/8/1) were also solid for the victorious Mavericks, while Jordan Walker led all scorers with 22 points. Of the four rookies, O-Max has the best shot of offering fantasy relevance next season, as Dallas is still looking to fill the void left by Dorian Finney-Smith.

Miles produced his best performance of Summer League on Wednesday, shooting better than 50% from the field and committing just one turnover. Undrafted out of TCU, he’s still fighting for an opportunity, whether it’s a two-way contract or an Exhibit 10 that would get him into training camp. Wednesday’s performance was a step in the right direction for Miles, as he proved a capable sidekick for Jaden Hardy. Hardy finished the win with a line of 21 points (6-of-20 FGs, 8-of-15 FTs), four rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one 3-pointer in 37 minutes.