It's been said the Mavs will have a very deep bench this year. Trouble is, three of those bench players will have to start.
One of the most interesting things to watch this year:
Who is most likely to develop into a core high-level NBA starter next to Doncic & Porzingis?
Brunson - Closed his rookie season strong, with better numbers than DSJ. Extremely skilled and mature with high BBIQ. But lack length, speed and overall athleticism limits his upside. Brunson will never be a superstar. But is he a high level starter? Or is he JJB 2.0?
Wright - Carlisle is on record: the Mavs are confident Wright is an NBA starter. He's a strong defender and plus rebounder, but he can't shoot or space the floor. Does Carlisle mean Wright can be a starter on a contender? Or is he a starter on a lottery team?
Jackson - Jackson models his game after George Gervin, and there are some similarities to his floater game; and Cuban has said JJ is being overlooked for his ability to impact the game at both ends. But JJ himself can often seem to just float. Is he a high impact starting SF? Or low impact finesse small ball 4?
Powell - Powell has been one of the most efficient backup centers in the NBA for several seasons but he closed last season strong in a starting role. He's clearly elite at one thing -- rim rolling. But he's clearly lacking in shooting, shot blocking, rebounding and size. The center position has changed drastically but this league still has some aircraft carriers like Jokic, Gobert, Embiid, Ayton, KAT, Drummond - not to mention strong traditional PFs like Aldridge. Can this team contend with Powell starting? Or is he an elite backup?
One of the most interesting things to watch this year:
Who is most likely to develop into a core high-level NBA starter next to Doncic & Porzingis?
Brunson - Closed his rookie season strong, with better numbers than DSJ. Extremely skilled and mature with high BBIQ. But lack length, speed and overall athleticism limits his upside. Brunson will never be a superstar. But is he a high level starter? Or is he JJB 2.0?
Wright - Carlisle is on record: the Mavs are confident Wright is an NBA starter. He's a strong defender and plus rebounder, but he can't shoot or space the floor. Does Carlisle mean Wright can be a starter on a contender? Or is he a starter on a lottery team?
Jackson - Jackson models his game after George Gervin, and there are some similarities to his floater game; and Cuban has said JJ is being overlooked for his ability to impact the game at both ends. But JJ himself can often seem to just float. Is he a high impact starting SF? Or low impact finesse small ball 4?
Powell - Powell has been one of the most efficient backup centers in the NBA for several seasons but he closed last season strong in a starting role. He's clearly elite at one thing -- rim rolling. But he's clearly lacking in shooting, shot blocking, rebounding and size. The center position has changed drastically but this league still has some aircraft carriers like Jokic, Gobert, Embiid, Ayton, KAT, Drummond - not to mention strong traditional PFs like Aldridge. Can this team contend with Powell starting? Or is he an elite backup?