DALLAS _ First-time father or not, Kris Dunn watched the Bulls' first two games, both losses, and came away with a simple conclusion.
"I think we just have to communicate more," Dunn said.
This season, the point guard has added wanting to be a vocal leader onto his plate, which grew even more crowded Monday night when he returned from paternity leave to make his season debut in the Bulls' 115-109 loss against the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
Through the first two games, the Bulls certainly missed what Dunn brings.
"He's our best perimeter defender," coach Fred Hoiberg said.
Nevertheless, defense continued to be a weakness as the Mavericks continued their high-scoring ways by attempting 47 3-pointers, making 15 of them. DeAndre Jordan's double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds and 19 points and six assists from rookie Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks.
The Bulls are 0-3 for the second straight season.
Dunn finished with nine points on 4-for-13 shooting and seven assists in 30 minutes before fouling out. He scored a career-high 32 points in his last trip here in January.
"I'm very excited just to get back on the court and play with my teammates and get my legs back under me and get my feel," Dunn said. "I'm going to play my regular game. Be aggressive on defense. Try to communicate and help the team communicate a little more. Get my guys involved and be aggressive."
Despite also incurring early foul trouble, Zach LaVine certainly was. LaVine sank his first seven field goals and posted his third straight 30-point game with 34 points. That put LaVine in an exclusive club with Bob Love and Michael Jordan as the only players in franchise history to open the season with three 30-point games.
Jabari Parker was almost as hot as LaVine in the first half, scoring 16 points. But Parker managed just four points after halftime, and the Bulls kept incurring foul trouble. Both Wendell Carter Jr. and Robin Lopez, who drew one technical foul and flirted with a second after a later whistle, had to sit for long stretches.
Bobby Portis joined Lopez in the technical foul category, spiking a ball out of frustration as the Bulls called a fourth-quarter timeout.
Hoiberg altered his rotation, pushing rookie Chandler Hutchison ahead of Antonio Blakeney and Ryan Arcidiacono. In fact, Hutchison, who played just 2 minutes, 49 seconds of garbage time in the opener and not at all against the Pistons, drew first-quarter action and matched up against Doncic.
"I think there's a role for him," Hoiberg said. "Chandler is a guy who as he learns the league can give us good moments on both ends. He can play in the open court. He has great size to be able to play the perimeter defensively and has good instincts.
"The thing I love about Chandler right now is you can see how much of a sponge he is, asking questions on the bench. He's seeing a lot of things that are going to help him once he does get that opportunity to go out and play."
That opportunity wasn't an easy one. Rookie or not, Doncic, 19, is a beast of a matchup.
"Doncic is an unbelievable talent," Hoiberg said. "Just his ability with that size, with the skill set he has, makes him such a difficult cover. His handle, his ability to shoot, his ability to pass, and more impressive in tight spaces the way he can deliver the ball on target to shooters. He also throws the lob. He's got the behind-the-back (passes) in the paint.
"So he just does so many things that make him a tough player and he's been doing it for a long time. What he did last year, the youngest MVP in the EuroLeague, was pretty impressive.''
