The Dallas Mavericks were very active during last night’s NBA Draft, drafting three players and trading for another. It’s no secret that Dallas is on the brink of contention led by Luka Doncic, so they used last night to strengthen the current roster while also preparing themselves for the foreseeable future.
Dallas Mavericks 2020 Draft Night Grades
First Round
The Mavericks selected Josh Green with the 18th overall pick. The former Arizona Wildcat was high on the team’s list, and they managed to secure him, which is already a win.
Green adds more juice to the Mavericks’ arsenal of young guards. He stands at 6-foot-6 but has a long wingspan of 6-foot-10 and a standing reach of 8-foot-7. That complements exactly what the Mavericks were looking for, a player with strong defensive potential.
He’s talented offensively as well. First off, Green is extremely athletic and will be a major vertical threat alongside Doncic. His athleticism allows him to excel in transition and finish strong. Although he’s not a lights-out shooter just yet, he’s solid by all means. Dallas expects Green to improve in this department with the open looks he’ll receive in their outstanding and well-spaced offense.
While at Arizona, Green averaged 12.7 points, five rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. The potential is clearly there for him to become a stellar “three-and-d” guard, which is exactly what the Mavericks were looking for in the first round.
Grade: A-
Second Round
The Mavericks owned the 31st and 36th pick in last night’s draft. Tyrell Terry was selected 31st and Tyler Bey at 36th.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer called Terry the steal of the draft, which already says enough.
Tyrell Terry going to the Dallas Mavericks with the 31st pick is the STEAL OF THE DRAFT https://t.co/GUY0B2gkl2
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) November 19, 2020
The most enticing aspect of Terry’s game is his shooting. Last season with Stanford he shot 40.8 percent from three-point range and just over 89 percent from the free-throw line. Terry knows this is a strength, and plays like it. He thrives coming off screens and has fantastic off-ball movement. Terry also makes it a point to take shots from beyond the arc. A comparison to Stephen Curry is definitely excessive, but his game looks similar in that sense.
Like Green, the Mavericks know Terry can excel playing alongside Doncic. He won’t have to handle the ball much and instead will focus completely on shooting.
Bey is a defensive-minded player. He can play as a small-ball forward or as a wing, showing off his defensive versatility. Rick Carlisle will love having Bey in defensive-switch scenarios, to either guard the perimeter or the paint. His defensive motor is also something to note, along with his willingness to constantly attack the ball. Bey’s physical tools when it comes to height and wingspan are also ideal in this role, but he’ll have to bulk up for the next level in his career.
Grade: B+
Trade Between the Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers
The Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a trade involving Josh Richardson, the 36th pick (Bey), and Seth Curry.
Curry was incredibly important to the Mavericks’ historic offense last season as one of the league’s best shooters and a very underrated ball-handler/creator. He was also a fan favorite, so Mavericks fans aren’t too happy to see him go.
The bottom line, however, is that the Mavericks made the right choice.
First of all, Terry is an excellent shooter who can help fill Curry’s void. There may be doubt considering he was drafted in the second round, but Jalen Brunson proved to Dallas that shouldn’t be an issue. Dallas also managed to get Bey, who they can develop into a useful defender, somewhat similar to Dorian Finney-Smith.
The biggest piece of this trade, of course, is Richardson.
Richardson had his fair share of struggles in Philadelphia last season, but so did the majority of that team. Just two years ago, while part of the Miami Heat, Richardson was a hot commodity in the league. He’s a superb perimeter defender, can shoot from distance at a solid rate, and can attack the basket. He’ll immediately become a starter in Dallas.
Dallas believes that Doncic will continue to improve his own play and, at the same time, elevate the entire offense. What they needed, however, was additional defensive help and that’s exactly what they got on draft night.
Grade: B+
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