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Mavericks stock report: Kristaps Porzingis’ offense will be fine, but what about Delon Wright’s?

UP: Kristaps Porzingis’ offense
In every game, Porzingis has launched wiiiide-open 3s. After taking just four 2-pointers against Milwaukee, Dallas began Monday’s game against Oklahoma City with a designed play to get Porzingis deep positioning under the rim. (He calmly hit a short turnaround jumper.) There’s no hesitation when he drives the ball, and he looks plenty athletic on plays like this one.
DOWN: Kristaps Porzingis’ defense
It took three games for Porzingis to record his first preseason block, and there have been long stretches where he hasn’t looked sharp. I’m not bothered when Giannis Antetokounmpo overpowers him for a layup, but warning lights go off in my head when the 5’11 Frank Mason III does the same thing.
UP: Jalen Brunson
Dallas has scored almost 140 points per 100 possessions in Brunson’s minutes this preseason, by far the best on the team, and he’s absolutely the reason why.
DOWN: The team’s lack of top-end talent
The Action Network’s Matt Moore was the latest person to write it: “The key issue with Dallas is not that their players are bad — it’s that every player is forced to play a role higher than what they would in an optimal situation.”
DOWN: Delon Wright
Last season, Dallas had the third-fewest transition opportunities in the league; Wright’s athletic ability to grab-and-go, turning defensive rebounds into layups on the other end within seconds, is valuable for that exact reason. But we’ve seen only glimpses thus far, like this play, where Wright immediately sheds a defender and assists Porzingis in the corner.
UP: Justin Jackson as the fifth starter
Jackson is a high-floor, low-ceiling player, but that’s what you need next to Doncic, Porzingis and Wright, three medium-to-high usage players within any starting unit. As long as he’s hitting open 3s and making simple plays, Jackson’s a key player on this team.
DOWN: Seth Curry
He is barely averaging more preseason points than Dakota Mathias. He certainly hasn’t looked any better than him.
UP: The new lighting in the American Airlines Center
It’s a softer lighting setup that focuses on the court, leaving the stands around them more shadowed than years before. It’s aesthetically gorgeous.
DOWN: The team’s offensive spacing
NBA defenders respect the following Mavericks shooters: Doncic, Porzingis, Curry and … that’s about it. What about Wright, or Dorian Finney-Smith, or Maxi Kleber, or Dwight Powell, or even Justin Jackson?
UP: Josh Reaves
He’s still working on his shooting, but I found it telling that Reaves got second-unit minutes in the first half of the preseason opener. There’s no question he’s viewed highly.
DOWN: J.J. Barea
He’s literally down two inches after the NBA mandated proper measurements, falling from 6’0 to 5’10. But Barea has also struggled in his first two games.
UP: Luka Doncic (and his free throw shooting)
Doncic has hit 19 of his 22 foul shots in his last two games, which matters.