Dallas Mavericks: Was Frank Ntilikina a better choice than John Wall?

The NBA season is less than a month, and for the Dallas Mavericks there are still many unanswered questions. One major question that must be addressed is the point guard position.

For the past several months, the team has been linked to players such as former Celtic Isaiah Thomas and current Raptor Goran Dragic. Thomas has been out of the league since last NBA season, where he played a total on 10 games. As for Dragic, the Mavs’ only hope is for a buyout.

However, things seemed to have taken a turn this week as two veteran guards were linked to the Mavs. The Mavs just made their choice, but was it the right choice?

Was Frank Ntilikina a better choice for the Dallas Mavericks than John Wall would have been?

Let’s break down the man they passed over, John Wall. The current Rocket did an excellent job bouncing back after missing the entire 2019-2020 season. For Houston, Wall picked off right where he left off from previous years.

During the 2020-2021 campaign, he averaged 20.6 points per game, along with 6.9 assists and 2.8 defensive rebounds. Some of his other top stats were produced from the defensive end of the court. Towards the end of last season, Wall finished the month of April with a steal in six of his eight games.

One of his top highlights actually came against the Mavs. Back on April 7th, the five time all-star finished the game with four steals and one block. I honestly cannot name any Mavericks player whose defensive numbers have been that good.

His ability to guard the perimeter is the type of defensive presence Dallas has been lacking. Other key skills include Wall’s ability to attack the paint and create fast break opportunities. Having other teammates beside Luka Doncic attack the paint, could provide ample amount of opportunities for other Mavs players.

Contrast Wall’s style with Ntilikina, and there is somewhat of a difference.

While the former Knick isn’t much of an offensive threat like Wall, he can contribute in a variety of other ways.

He can definitely be labeled as a defensive specialist. Over the course of his NBA career, Ntilikina did an excellent job at guarding sharp shooters and heavy assist guards.

Who can forget his defensive highlight against Doncic? Just last year, the guard from France tortured the Mavs all-star. Don’t believe me? Just let the Knicks Film School, Founder Jeffrey Bellone’s video do the talking.

https://twitter.com/JeffreyBellone/status/1297956042291195904?s=20

I mean if you can make Doncic this frustrated, then major props to you.

While this article was suppose to focus on the difference between the two guards, it seems as though Dallas has already made their choice.

On Thursday evening, the team officially announced the signing of Ntilikina.

Do I agree with the choice? yes and no.

I do believe Wall would have provided an enormous amount of contribution of the offensive end. However, I am a believer in giving the former Knick a second chance.

When it comes down to it, this is not a bad signing. A player who has a higher defensive IQ than half the players on the team is not a bad answer at all.

• Published on 09/17/2021 at 12:01 PM
• Last updated at 09/17/2021 at 14:31 PM