Mavs Big Board 1.0

Some names to monitor for the next five months

With the back-to-back losses to Denver, Dallas would pick at 20 if the Draft happened today. Let’s take a quick look into some names I would be interested to see Dallas pursue. As a heads up, this team-specific board is unlikely to conform to consensus mocks due to how inaccurate they are this far out. This will take into account players that I project to fall or rise in the coming months, and will only select players that I project to be available at 20, with room for error up to a couple of spots (likely if I project them to be there at 17, there’s enough variance to say said player will last a couple more spots).

1. Liam McNeeley, Wing, Connecticut

   1. Immediately contradicting my opening words, I actually think the mocks have Liam in a mostly accurate range. His archetype is not the most appealing for teams picking in the lottery or low-playoff range (6-8 seeds), given the general needs of those teams, which is usually further up the roster (aka starpower). Additionally, McNeeley is missing time with a high ankle sprain as conference play heats up, which unfortunately makes his draft night stock take a short-term hit. Nevertheless, I have McNeeley 8th on my overall board. His floor is valuable to playoff teams, which will bring out his strengths as a shooter and connective player with defensive abilities, while masking some of his on-ball shortcomings. A Dallas native, McNeeley would be a fantastic addition to the Mavs’ wing depth without having to spend out of free agency. Finding ways to cut costs without sacrificing talent is something every title contender needs to master, and this could be the easiest shortcut for Dallas.

2. Collin Murray-Boyles, Forward, South Carolina

   1. Forward is a loose term for CMB, who lacks much offensive game away from play-finishing, but he has a high-level defensive profile. He can guard 1-5 with some limitations at the 5 due to being only ~6’7, but his defensive intelligence is likely number one in the class. He is always communicating on defense, he doesn’t miss rotations, he makes quick switches, and he forces offenses to reset and drain the clock, which statistically correlates to lower efficiency. With the struggles the Mavs have faced at times, despite being 12th in defensive ratings, CMB polishes up the defensive depth to push the Mavs into the necessary top 10 defense they need in order to be a title contender, and he makes everyone around him better on that end. This will negate his offensive shortcomings, especially when used in the proper lineups.

3. Rasheer Fleming, Forward, Saint Joseph’s

   1. 6’9 players who shoot 40%+, defend at a high level, have extreme length (reported 7’5 wingspan), and connective passing don’t come around often. This is a valuable archetype for a team like Dallas, who is trying to win around the margins with players like Fleming that can be controlled for a long time. His only red flag I noted is that he has not taken a single off the dribble jumper this year, but that weakness becomes minimized and irrelevant on a team like Dallas. Check out more of him here from one of the best in the business, Tyler Metcalf.

4. Alex Karaban, Wing, Connecticut

   1. The UConn wing tandem of Karaban + McNeeley is a great duo of smart defenders with high-level three point shooting prowess. Karaban has grown as a shot-blocker this season after a somewhat surprising return to school, but it has been a mixed bag for some scouts. I see Karaban as a smooth fit into Dallas’ back-end rotation to help play sufficient defense and hit 3 pointers at a high level.

5. Miles Byrd, Wing, San Diego State

   1. One of the top on-ball defenders, Byrd has a versatile frame at 6’7, and he can both execute the defensive scheme and improvise to create turnovers. He also has grown as a shooter, improving from 28.6% from 3 as a freshman to 31.1% as a sophomore, and 39.5% currently as a junior. Dallas likes investing in players who have consistently improved each year (see: Dorian Finney-Smith), especially at Byrd’s archetype. I wrote about the game I watched of Byrd this last week here.

Honorable mentions that I see rising too far above Dallas’ range:

• Jase Richardson, Wing, Michigan State

  • A freshman wing that plays good defense, finishes well at the rim, and shoots well. An ideal off-ball player in the modern analytically-minded era.

• Drake Powell, Wing, North Carolina

  • Offense has been a struggle, but he is one of the most complete defensive wings in this class. He is someone that GM’s and front offices loved in high school, so if he has a good pre-draft process he will rise on draft night.

• Noah Penda, SF, France

  • Even though his jumper needs work, his playmaking and outstanding feel for the game at ~6’7 are eye-popping, and he loves playing defense. International prospects are harder to gauge, but his production + traits will be hard to deny for teams picking in the teens.

Don’t forget the Mavs own the 76ers’ pick (currently projected #38), so there are several names that didn’t make the top five cut that could be there at 38 who could make a quick impact (such as Nique Clifford as a headliner).

To round it out, here are a few names I would like to see pursued with a two-way contract at this rate:

• Cam Carter, G, LSU

  • A scoring guard that has taken a major jump to his all-around offensive game this year, who could be worth investing in his upward trend.

• Sion James, Wing, Duke

  • A do-it-all wing that has become a more consistent shooter the last two years, James is a good low-usage, dirty work wing that can play multiple positions.

• Miles Rubin, Post, Loyola Chicago

  • While his offense has a ways to go, lacking much self-creation or jump shooting, as his body develops, his defensive strengths could pop even more. His body developing would mean his rebounding numbers likely improve as well, making him worth developing into an energetic big that can rack up blocks and rim protection abilities. With Dallas’ big man depth aging behind Gafford and Lively, Rubin could be a nice young big worth seeing if he can make a splash in the future.