Dallas Mavericks Draft Preview
The Mavericks are taking plenty of time to gloat and celebrate their first NBA title in franchise history. It’s hard to already be looking ahead to the draft after such a great season for Dallas, but even NBA Champions can improve.
For some teams getting one year more experienced may be an advantage, but it doesn’t appear to be one for the Mavs as it means that they are one year older. However with the draft only 10 days away it is something that needs to happen as the Mavs need to start building for the offseason.
There is a fairly glaring need for the Mavericks to fill this offseason. With Jason Kidd back for at least one more season and JJ Barea as a great back up at point guard, there is no need at the point guard position immediately unless someone they can’t pass up slips to them in the first round. At the shooting guard/small forward positions they have the group of DeShawn Stevenson, Jason Terry, Rodrigue Beaubois, Corey Brewer, Peja Stojakovic, Caron Butler, and Shawn Marion, which although there really isn’t a superstar there, there are enough solid players to make that not a need. At Center, the Mavs have two 10-year veterans in Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood, who serve as a great 1-2 combo at the 5. The issue is finding a good backup for Dirk that can help to monitor his minutes and keep him well rested.
There are 4 or 5 forwards that the Mavericks may target for their first selection in the draft assuming their current roster remains the same. The first two are players will have to fall a bit; the third is my thought for the pick; and the next two are reaches.
1) Kenneth Faried– This 6’7” 225 pound senior from Morehead St. was the most effective rebounder in the entire country. He is extremely athletic and is a animal on defense and on the boards. He fits what the Mavs would need here perfectly. He is a great energy guy at this point in his career but has the potential to end up being just like Dennis Rodman was for the Bulls. The hope is that teams will look at his lack of offensive game and the conference that he played in, and hopefully he will fall.
2) Trey Thompkins– Maybe the exact opposite of Faried, except still a tremendous player. At Georgia, Thompkins had an extremely polished offensive game. He had a great low post skill set and a good perimeter game as well. He has high basketball acumen and is still a good rebounder even without being tremendously athletic. Teams that run and gun may pass because his game fits so well in the half court offense. He is very similar to Channing Frye.
3) Justin Harper– MOST LIKELY SELECTION. Harper, a combo 3/4 forward from Richmond, is a tremendous jump shooter and his game is very mature at this young point in his career. He shot near 50% from 3 point range his senior season. All that he needs to really work on is his physicality which is a must for a power forward at the professional level. He doesn’t currently have the strength to matchup with a physical 4 man, but with a typical NBA workout schedule, Harper’s body can quickly improve.
4) JaJuan Johnson– Very similar to Harper, Johnson lacks the size to be a true 4 man at this point. However, Johnson is extremely athletic and a great shot blocker. In his senior season at Purdue, he had his best season and continued to show improvement throughout his career. He plays very similar to Hakeem Warrick, but his jumpshot is much more polished.
5) Jeremy Tyler– Once one of the top prospects in all of basketball and a potential number 1 pick. Tyler decided to go overseas and try to play there instead of attending college. The transition was a little rough to say the least. He was scrutinized by his coach and his teammates and never took advantage of the opportunity to showcase his skills. This being said, he has the athletic ability to be great. More of a 5 than a 4 but has a very solid midrange game which scouts suggest will translate better to American-style basketball than European. Plays a little like Deandre Jordan does.
With their second pick in the round I think they need to start looking for the point guard of the future. JJ Barea cannot handle the responsibility of being an everyday starting point guard. Below are four second round point guard options for the Mavs:
1) Iman Shumpert– A 6’5 Point Guard is always an interesting matchup for opposing teams. Shumpert is unbelieveably athletic and strong. He is one of the best rebounding guards in the draft, is great on defense, and is very talented in transition. The huge glaring issue with his game is that he has little basketball IQ whatsoever. At Georgia Tech, he tried to make too many flashy plays, took poor shots, and often pressed. His jump shot will need work as well.
2) Demetri McCamey– Although he didn’t improve much from his Junior season to his Senior season, McCamey may be the most NBA ready point guard in the second round. With high shooting percentages and a high assist to turnover ratio, he was a great leader as well for Illinois the last 2 seasons. The biggest concern with McCamey is if he has already hit his ceiling and has no more room to improve.
3) Ben Hansbrough– Hansbrough had an unbelievable Senior season for Notre Dame including being nearly unguardable in Conference play. Although he lacks the passing skills to be a true point guard, he is a great shooter and scorer, second to only Jimmer Fredette in shooting range. He has a high basketball IQ and will be nothing less than a solid reserve player his entire career.
4) Julyan Stone– This may be a little bit of a reach, but having seen Stone play on several occasions, I can state for sure that Stone is underrated. Being 6’7” and playing point guard really helps Stone to stand out. He is one of the best triple-double threat in all of college basketball and this draft. His senior season, he averaged 9 points 6 assists and 7.5 rebounds a game. He is truly a do it all player with huge upside.
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