Dallas Mavericks: Three Options on Draft Day
With the Dallas Mavericks done for the season, it is never too early to analyze hopeful draft prospects that could turn the franchise around.
The 2017-2018 NBA season brought a mixture of emotions for Dallas Mavericks fans. The team had their share of highs and lows, but if there was anything positive this past season: it was the rookie phenom.
Point guard Dennis Smith Jr. took the Mavs organizations by the horns and bought a sense of hope for the future. This past season, Smith Jr. was the second leading scorer on the Dallas roster. The rookie averaged 15.2 points per game to go with 5.2 assists.
While the future seems hopeful for the Mavericks, the team has plenty of holes to fill this off-season. If there is one major area they must look at, it is the power forward position.
Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki has declared he is coming back for another season, but where does the team go from there? This is why the power forward slot is key for the Mavs.
The draft is one area the organization can fix their post Dirk concern.
With the team guaranteed to draft no worse than six, there are plenty of options the has if they hope to find their next big man.
1. Mo Bamba
One forward that comes to mind when thinking of this years draft class: Mohamed Bamba. The Texas sensation took over the lone star state as he completely balled out his freshman year. This past college season, Bamba averaged 12.9 points per game, along with 10.5 rebounds.
His ability to average a double double is what makes him comparable to some of the NBA’s best ballers. In the NCAA tournament against Nevada, Bamba grabbed14 rebounds to compliment his 13 points.
His 7-9 wingspan is what helps him stand out contrast to other future draft stars. At 6-11 the Longhorn star has the intangibles to compete with some of todays big man. A triple threat of Smith Jr., Harrison Barnes and Bamba could cause major headaches for defenders.
2. Marvin Bagley
Another player who has the skill-set to turn a franchise around is Duke’s Marvin Bagley the third. For the Blue Devils last season, Bagley lead the team in scoring.
The 6-11 forward averaged 21 points per game to complete his 11 rebounds. Bagley carried the Blue Devils all the way to the Elite 8 this postseason. In his final college game, the Duke star grabbed 10 boards and put in 16 points.
Only one time this past season did Bagley score less than 10 points and in that game he only played a total of ten minutes.
What makes the Blue Devil stand out the most is his ability to create his own shot down low and power his way into the basket.
He has all intangibles to be the next All-Star at the NBA level.
3. Jaren Jackson
Assuming both Bamba and Bagley are taken off the board, then another player who could catch the team’s attention is Jaren Jackson Jr. Just like the other two forwards, Jackson Jr. is a one and done college player.
What makes him different compared to other big man, is his ability to compete with other top forwards in the nation.
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Against Bagley and Duke this past season, Jackson Jr. scored 19 points and tallied in seven rebounds.
Compared to his counterparts, his numbers are non comparable. For the Spartans this past basketball year, Jackson Jr. averaged 10.9 points per game, along with 5.8 rebounds.
Unlike Bagley, Jackson Jr. has made a name for himself on the defensive side. He was named the Big Ten Defensive player of the year and was selected to be part of the Big Ten All-Freshman team.
At 6-11, Jackson Jr. averaged 3.2 blocks per game and as he all know defensive wins championships or so they say.
All three big man have the potential to turn any franchise around and for the Dallas Mavericks that is all they can ask from whoever they ended up drafting.
Next: Dallas Mavericks: What have we learned from this season?
The Dallas Mavericks currently have the third best chance at selecting the number one pick and it is for certain they can not draft worse than six, so if there is any hope with the future it is that it is almost guaranteed one of the three big man will be there to draft.