Dallas Were True Mavericks On Draft Night
By: Lawrence Brooks
The NBA has become more of a wing-oriented league and that’s exactly how Dallas tailored their draft night. Thinking back to how their season ended against the Clippers it was clear they needed better wing play. Having only one legit “3 and D” type of wing in Dorian Finney-Smith, the Mavs were able to potentially bump that number to 4. Selecting Josh Green with their first pick shows how they wanted to structure their roster overturn. I’m sure flashbacks of having to assign Maxi Kleber with duties of guarding Kawhi Leonard gave them nightmares and left mental scars. With that being said, I believe they could have taken a couple of other players that were more talented (RJ Hampton and Desmond Bane), but I understand the vision. Josh Green is a bit of a project offensively although he is a proven “corner 3” maker based on his college numbers. He’s a 6’6 wing with great defensive intensity and versatility. Again, they could have gotten more established talent at this spot, but his upside is somewhat promising.
Tyler Bey was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of The Year. He broke the NBA combine vertical record. Stands 6’7 with a 7-foot wingspan. These ingredients spell immediate contributor for Dallas. His length and athleticism will allow for him to defend multiple positions. I mentioned his vertical because he is a solid shot-blocker for his size as well. It seems Tyler’s defense will bring an NBA ready skill that Dallas can find minutes for in their rotation this year. However, the Mavericks will need to develop him offensively much like they’ve done with Dorian Finney-Smith. Tyler isn’t a shot-maker or shot creator. He does most of his damage as a hustler and finding his way around the basket.
Dallas selected Tyler Terry out of Stanford who is possibly the best shooter in the draft and should definitely cater to their strength which is an elite offense. He didn’t fill a need necessarily but his upside as an overall talent is exciting considering he landed in a system tailor-made for his skillset of shooting the ball and shot creation. But more so the draft night acquisition of Josh Richardson was the cherry on top. They got a 2-way player that continues their attempt to shore up the perimeter defense. It just happens to be a bonus that Josh Richardson shot 38% on catch and shoot 3’s in 2019. Playing alongside Luka should unlock more of Josh’s offensive abilities while keeping the rock-solid contributions he will bring defensively. This move cost the Mavs losing Seth, but Josh is a few years younger at 27yrs old and has more size. All in all, it became crystal clear based on their selections that they wanted to infuse more defensive talent on the Mavs roster. We often question the direction of teams on draft night, but Dallas had a plan and stuck to it. Wing help is seemingly on the way.
