The Dallas Mavericks came into Day 2 of the NBA Draft as confident as ever after drafting Morez Johnson Jr. and trading up late to get Spain's Sergio De Larrea. The Mavs had the No. 48 pick on Wednesday night, and it's safe to say they cooked.
The Mavericks drafted Tobi Lawal out of Virginia Tech, and after watching his tape, it's hard to say how he fell this low in the draft. Lawal comes in as one of the most athletic freaks in the NBA Draft. At the NBA Draft Combine, he blew everyone away with a 45.5-inch max vertical and a 40.0-inch no-step vertical.
I'm not sure exactly who to compare him to, but the closest I can think of is Jason Richardson, who was always known for his athleticism and shooting. Lawal is also a lob threat and a mean dunker who can rattle the rim if he gets a chance.
Mavericks got an athletic freak in Tobi Lawal at No. 48 in the NBA Draft
If Lawal was a late bloomer to the game of basketball, he's picked it up pretty well. He didn't start playing basketball until he was 16 years old. It seems like his natural athleticism has him growing in the right direction.
One thing that fans may be skeptical of is that some will say he's only a dunker, and you need more than that to play in the NBA for a long time. Well, he shot 54.2 percent from the field as a senior at Virginia Tech. Not bad numbers for "just a dunker."
He can also recover to meet his opponent at the rim and block a shot, as he averaged 1.1 blocks last season. The Mavs already just picked a guy who can recover and play fast for a forward. That's Johnson Jr., and the Mavs just capitalized on another underrated defender.
Lawal is 6-foot-8 and will likely play under P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall, assuming both guys are still in Dallas next season, but honestly, we can't be too sure at this point. If he does get an opportunity, he will no doubt make the most of it.
Another question is to see what Lawal can do with the ball in his hands. Fair concern, but knowing that he mostly lives inside the paint to score, there really shouldn't be much worry in that department.
Another day, and more big moves being made by the new-look Mavs front office.
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