The Mavericks can still find this superstar at No. 5
By Reid Hanson
Though it’s disappointing the Dallas Mavericks will be picking fifth in the upcoming NBA Draft, they will still have a shot at a potential superstar.
The NBA draft lottery didn’t work out for the Dallas Mavericks. After unabashedly tanking the season so they could increase their draft odds, karma slapped them across the face with the fifth overall pick.
Since many were expecting the third pick, and hoping for the first pick, it’s safe to say disappointment is running wild around Mavericks Nation. But there is hope. Superstar talent should be available to the Mavs if they are willing to roll the dice on this man…
Michael Porter Jr
Michael Porter Jr. has arguably the highest ceiling of any player in this draft. The 6’10” 214lbs forward out of Missouri started last season as arguably the top player in college basketball. But a back injury robbed him of the vast majority of his freshmen season and puts his future as an NBA player somewhat in doubt.
It’s that injury that’s causing him to fall on draft boards and should make him available for a team like the Mavericks at pick five. But let’s be clear – if it weren’t for the back injury, Porter would firmly be in the conversation as a top overall selection. Many thought he would have been No.1 overall last season if he was allowed to enter. He’s just that good.
Porter has elite size and quickness. He’s a three zone shooter with zero offensive weaknesses. He’s smart, disciplined, and coachable. In other words, he’s not only a fantastic player but he’s also a fantastic teammate and overall human being. He’s exactly who the Mavs look for in a player.
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A Gamble
The back injury obviously makes the selection a gamble. Back injuries can end a career before it even begins.
If the Mavericks pick Porter they have to feel good about his medicals. No one is going to feel 100 percent confident about Michael Porter Jr’s back so whoever picks him has to be willing to digest a certain amount of risk.
How much risk each team is willing to take on will likely vary around the league. But given the ceiling Porter offers, he’s a risk the Mavericks should consider heavily. As the DMN news pointed out last night, the last 10 fifth overall picks haven’t turned out all that well. Only two have been All-Stars and five have been busts.
The pick is inherently unsafe anyway – why not swing for the fences and go with the best player in the draft?
Next: Second Round Sleeper for the Mavs: Isaac Bonga
It’s disappointing the Dallas Mavericks won’t be picking in the top-4 of the draft but it might be blessing in disguise. It forces the Mavs to look deeper down their board at a player they otherwise would have ignored had they been in the top-3.
Michael Porter Jr.