3 things to watch as the Mavericks visit the Grizzlies

The Mavericks (1-4) will take on the Grizzlies (3-1) in Memphis on Thursday night. The Mavs will look to win their second game of 2017.

There’s two other teams who are yet to register a win: the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls. I’m gonna be honest - that’s not great company. It would be really great if the Mavs could get this win.

Nerlens Noel’s Minutes, Still

Noel played 20 minutes versus the Grizzlies but was limited mainly due to foul trouble. Rick Carlisle could have put Noel back in the game in the fourth, but with the Mavericks rolling offensively there was neither a reason nor a chance to do so.

Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies are solid up front, so expect Noel to see healthy minutes again Thursday, perhaps playing more than Wednesday games.

The Rookie

Would you like to watch some more Dennis Smith Jr? Carlisle praised DSJ’s efforts on Monday night and backed him with patience and confidence.

Smith rewarded that patience and confidence with his best scoring game of the young season, pouring in 19 points on just 12 shots. He looked confident and smooth from beyond the arc and patience when driving through the lane. His free throws remain a concern, but as long as he keeps getting to the line, he should be fine

Marc Gasol is ballin’

Gasol chipped in an efficient 26 point, 11 rebound performance on the front end of the back to back, but it wasn’t enough (mainly due to his woes at the free throw line). If Dallas can somehow get him off his game, they stand an excellent chance at winning both games in the now rare home/home back to back.

How to watch

You can catch the game on Fox Sports Southwest (or NBA League Pass outside of the Dallas area) starting at 7:00 pm Central. Follow along with us to catch all of our game coverage!