Absence only makes the heart grow fonder. You’ve heard that expression before, but you probably didn’t realize it was coined many years ago by a time-traveling Mavericks fan referring to DeAndre Jordan missing in the team’s last two preseason games in China. That’s a true fact. Don’t google it; I wouldn’t lie to you.



Jordan missed both Friday and Monday’s games, meaningless affairs against the Philadelphia 76ers, due to a death in the family. Dallas split the series by winning Monday’s affair, 115-112, and we’ll talk about the game’s actual performances momentarily. But the thing that struck me most – and our beloved time traveler, too, of course – was how Jordan will dramatically change this team. Doncic aside, the starting five during the past two games has felt like last year’s Mavericks, especially defensively. Dwight Powell has carved out an intriguing role as a backup, but he gets...