Mavs plan to be competitive in Blue-White scrimmage

DALLAS – When the Dallas Mavericks play their annual Blue-White scrimmage Sunday afternoon at American Airlines Center, coach Rick Carlisle knows exactly what the fans can expect.

"We need to compete hard,’’ Carlisle said following Saturday’s practice. "We’re going to make it competitive.

"The last couple of years we had very good scrimmages in the Fan Jam, we’ve had high energy, we’ve had fast-paced, we’ve had good decision-making. We’re shooting for all that stuff tomorrow.”

The doors for the Mavs’ Fan Jam open at 1 p.m., and the scrimmage starts around 2:30 p.m.

Carlisle refused to say which players will not play in the scrimmage. But Chandler Parsons (knee surgery), Wesley Matthews (Achilles tendon surgery), JaVale McGee (stress fracture) and Deron Williams (strained calf) are among those who were limited in the first six practices this past week.

Still, point guard J. J. Barea is anxious for the fans to get their first glimpse of the 2015-’16 Mavs.

"It’s always great to see the fans,’’ Barea said. "They give us so much energy.

"Just to see them and sign some autographs and take some pictures with them, it’s always fun. I’m probably going to dunk tomorrow – maybe in the game.”

Dwain Price can be heard every Wednesday from 3-5 p.m. on dfwiradio.com.

This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Mavs plan to be competitive in Blue-White scrimmage."