Most of the league's camps opened on the same September morning. Dallas was already several practices deep by then, not as a flex, but because the preseason itinerary runs through Macao.
The Mavericks face the Houston Rockets on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11 at The Venetian Arena as part of the NBA China Games, then return for later exhibitions before Dusty May's regular-season debut Oct. 21 at Houston.
That compressed runway is the quiet subplot of Year 1 under May. Concepts have to land with enough reps to survive travel and jet lag, and the roster still carries major availability questions in the middle.
Lively's lane is patience
Dereck Lively II has not played since December. He appeared in seven games last season (4.3 points, 5.3 rebounds) before season-ending surgery on his right foot. On the open portion of the first camp practice, he worked with a trainer on non-basketball activity while Kyrie Irving and others shot in groups.
President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said at media day the organization intends to stay patient. Max Christie later said Lively has been putting in work outside practice and shooting.
Santi Aldama, acquired from Memphis in July, was limited early in camp with a nagging issue May did not detail. The rest of the group participated in some capacity, May said, even if individual drills had individual limits.
None of that freezes the schematic install. May wants pace and connected defense, layered slowly. Zaccharie Risacher, acquired from Atlanta in July, said the early message is to guard and push in transition - strengths he believes match what May is asking. Dallas also re-signed Dwight Powell on the eve of camp, bringing a long-tenured connector back onto a 19-man camp roster.