BOSSIER CITY, La. - You've seen those insurance commercials where mayhem happens from unlikely sources.

Rick Carlisle wants newcomer Quincy Acy to be the Mavericks' mayhem, a role the physical big man out of Baylor and Mesquite Horn High School is more than happy to accept.

"Every team wants to have a bunch of ass-kickers," Carlisle said. "And he's an ass-kicker."

It took less than a quarter in the first preseason game for Acy to show what Carlisle was talking about.

Acy hit the floor to dig out a loose ball and extend a Maverick possession that ended with a Seth Curry jump shot. Given how much trouble this team had finishing out quarters last season, it was a positive sign out of the exhibition opener, which the Mavericks lost to New Orleans 116-102.

Acy has built a reputation as a blue-collar player who never gets outworked. That's going to have to be his calling card as he battles with Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson for minutes off the bench.

And he's got attitude on the court.

"We got some guys who are going to play with an edge," J.J. Barea said. "We need more of that. We need to be more (like) bad guys. Q will help with that. Sometimes, we're too nice. We just have to be tougher."

As the 6-7, 240-pound Acy said: "I just do what I've been doing - playing with intensity that the opponent can't match."

Acy said Carlisle reminds him every day of what he needs to do to be successful on the court. And the message has been well-received. Carlisle said that when Acy is on the court, everybody knows it. He has a way of making physical plays, rebounding beyond his size and he's a player who will fight his way into more minutes.

Acy bounced around the league in his first four seasons, playing for three teams, including two stints in Sacramento.

He said it was a dream come true to come home and play for the Mavericks. He signed a veteran minimum contract to come back. His mother still lives in Mesquite. And Acy also got engaged this summer to Jessica Fuentes, who he met at Baylor.

While his game is based on being physical and doing most of his damage in the paint, Acy also has developed into a capable 3-point shooter. He shot 38.8-percent last season and during the last 12 games of the season, when his playing time rose significantly, he shot 42.3-percent.

He credited Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins.

"Last year, we had a great center, and I just learned to play off of him and made sure my spacing was right," Acy said. "When the defense collapsed, I'd float around the 3-point line and if the shot didn't come to me, that's when I'd crash the boards. I'd have a running lane to get an offensive rebound."

If the preseason opener was any indication, Acy isn't shy about mixing it up. He had four fouls in less than 11 minutes on the court in the first half. But these weren't Shawn Bradley-esque fouls. They were mostly effective fouls made out of aggression. Acy finished with five points, five fouls and four rebounds in 19 minutes.

Carlisle can live with those fouls. And it's actually a key part of Acy's style.

If he's not causing mayhem, he's not doing his job.

"I see minutes available for myself," Acy said. "They're available and I got to take advantage of it, whether that's me standing out on the stat sheet or not, as long as my value is appreciated, then I'm doing my job."

Preseason takeaways: Several newcomers gave the Mavericks a different look in the opener.

With Seth Curry and Justin Anderson on the court a lot, the Mavericks were not the slower team, something that has rarely been the case in recent seasons.

Curry showed off his shooting skills with a couple of 3-pointers, finishing with 12 points. Anderson also had it going from long range, hitting a trio of 3-pointers in the third quarter and finishing with 14 points.

Harrison Barnes, J.J. Barea and Dwight Powell all started and played most of the first half. They sat the entire second half.

Dirk Nowitzki, Devin Harris, Wesley Matthews, Andrew Bogut and Deron Williams all stayed in Dallas to work out.

Yeah, Buddy: New Orleans' Buddy Hield, the No. 6 overall pick this summer, put on a show, hitting shots from all over, including a crossover dribble that freed him up for a run to the rim in the fourth quarter.

"He's a terrific player," Carlisle said. "I know he can really score. A guy like him gets to jump in and get his feet wet in a game like this."

Twitter: @ESefko