Mavericks: Seth Curry already saved the Mavs’ season
By Reid Hanson
Injury has kept Mavericks guard, Seth Curry, off the court this season but doesn’t mean his absence hurt the Mavs. Quite the contrary…
The Dallas Mavericks have had a season to forget. Sitting in the cellar of the NBA standings, the Mavs are destined for a high lottery pick. And for that, they owe much thanks to Seth Curry.
That thanks isn’t meant to be sarcastic either. The Dallas Mavericks are clearly rebuilding. To effectively do that, they need to build through the draft. The higher the pick – the better the player (typically speaking). So with Seth Curry on the shelf all season, he has helped the rebuild in a way that cannot be overstated.
Seth Curry recently spent time speaking with reporters. Topics revolved primarily around his health and his timetable – both left largely unanswered.
A stress fracture in the preseason has prevented him from taking the court in the regular season. The uncertain nature of bone injuries such as these says he could be back next week, next month, or maybe not until next season.
But the impact of his injury is pretty hard to ignore. With Curry on the court, the Mavs are a different team. As DMN’s Eddie Sefko pointed out yesterday, the Mavs are a cool 27-27 in Curry’s last 54 games played with Dallas. In those games, Curry played a significant role in the Mavericks success, averaging 13 points, and shooting 50 percent from the field and 46 percent from deep.
It’s pretty safe to say the Mavs would have considerably more wins had Seth Curry been playing. They wouldn’t be a playoff team by any means, but they’d be better. And they’d likely be on track for a draft pick in the 9-11 range next summer.
More from Dallas Mavericks
- Dallas Mavericks Free Agency: 3 Roster Burning Questions
- ‘Dirk Overrated?’ Where does the Mavericks star rank among big men?
- Dallas Mavericks: 1 Possible trade scenario to solve their issues
- 2023 NBA Mock Draft: Where will the Dominoes fall?
- Mavericks new draft odds crucial to team’s future outlook
I don’t have to tell you the difference between picking in the top-5 and picking outside of the top-10. Any GM would opt for the higher pick if given the choice.
No one wants to tank games, but if games are lost because a player is legitimately injured, then it becomes an ideal scenario for the team. They get to keep their integrity and still move up in the lottery.
Next season
Seth Curry will be a free agent this summer and it’s going to be extremely difficult to gauge his worth.
Statistically he’s been trending in the right direction and last season he was one of the NBA’s most efficient players. But his size, defense, and the recent injury are going to devalue him in the minds of many.
As such, the Mavericks should have an inside track on re-signing Seth to a moderate short-term deal. Getting Seth back and adding a top-5 pick in the draft will do a lot to boost the Mavs next season. They could even conceivably catapult into the playoff picture depending on how free agency goes.
Seth Curry should take his time coming back. There’s no need to add him to this lottery bound team and every reason to get him healthy and re-signed. Misfortune has never been so fortunate for the Mavs.