Even while leading the Grizzlies with career-best scoring and to a win over the Luka Doncic- and Kristaps Porzingis-less Mavericks, Desmond Bane took some time to look around American Airlines Center on Saturday night.

In particular, toward the Mavericks’ bench.

There, former TCU standout Bane saw fellow first-round pick Josh Green, whom the Mavericks selected at No. 18 overall, 12 spots ahead of Bane (No. 30) in the 2020 draft.

Consider Green’s latest Did Not Play stat line extra fuel for Bane’s strong night and the latest example of the recent draft strikeouts that have especially hampered the Mavericks on nights like Saturday, when they needed reinforcements most.

“I’m not a guy that needs a bunch of extra motivation, but I’m definitely motivated to play against the organizations that passed on me,” Bane said after tallying a career-best 29 points and nine rebounds while shooting 12 of 20 from the field and 4 of 6 from three.

“Especially the ones like Dallas, the ones that I thought would be good fits and were showing me interest throughout the pre-draft process, right in my backyard. I love where I’m at, but if there was a No. 2, it probably would have been here [in Dallas]. So I’m glad we got the win tonight, let me just say that.”

The Mavericks’ current leadership with first-time general manager Nico Harrison and new head coach Jason Kidd weren’t in Dallas for the 2020 draft, reported to be a source of friction among the franchise’s previous regime.

But Bane wasn’t concerned about those details Saturday.

“I know almost all of the guys who were drafted in front of me,” Bane said. “I mean, Josh Green was drafted in front of me. I don’t know if he played tonight, but that’s on them. That’s not on me.”

Bane was open about his affinity for the Mavericks after playing four seasons at TCU and finishing his pandemic-shortened senior year as the only Big 12 player to rank in the top 10 in average points (16.6), rebounds (6.4) and assists (3.9) per game.

He interviewed with Dallas and thought at the time he’d “fit like a glove.” He was the closest local first-round prospect, too.

The Mavericks targeted a 3-and-D player at No. 18. Though Bane — and eventual No. 19 pick Saddiq Bey — were still available, Dallas selected Green as a defensive-minded Arizona wing instead.

Green’s early development, however, hasn’t panned out like Bane.

Green played sparingly during his pandemic-riddled rookie season under coach Rick Carlisle, and hasn’t cracked Kidd’s rotation.

So far this season, Green has scored 14 total points while playing in 11 of the Mavericks’ 22 games, often at the end of blowouts. Bane, a season-long starter for Memphis, has tallied at least 14 points in 15 different games this year.

Asked after Saturday’s loss why Green, among other reserves, didn’t receive any playing time despite the Mavericks missing Doncic and Porzingis, Kidd said:

“There was only 48 minutes and the guys that were playing were playing hard. There’s just not enough minutes in the game for those guys to get in.”

After trading for Doncic and selecting Jalen Brunson in the 2018 draft, the Mavericks’ past brass endured several misses.

They traded their 2019 first rounder to acquire Doncic and then selected Isaiah Roby — whom they traded midway through his rookie season — in the second round.

After Green in 2020, the Mavericks used early second-round picks on Tyrell Terry and Tyler Bey, who were cut before this season.

Dallas didn’t hold a selection in the 2021 draft — Harrison’s first — because of past trades for Kristaps Porzingis, JJ Redick and Nico Melli.

Couple the lack of depth with their free-agent signees’ struggles — Reggie Bullock, Sterling Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. are all shooting below their 2020-21 averages — and the Mavericks on Saturday dropped to a combined 3-7 in games Doncic and Porzingis have missed.

Kidd warned before the game about Bane’s tendencies to drive hard to the basket and shoot efficiently from deep. Perhaps the Mavericks will better respond to the scouting report Wednesday — when they again match up with Bane and the Grizzlies on the second night of a back to back.

“Bane, he did an excellent job of searching for open spots in transition,” Hardaway said, “and when he was given the opportunity to shoot the ball, he knocked them things down. He’s playing at a high clip.”

Twitter: @CallieCaplan