What Should the Mavs do With Yogi Ferrell?

With the rise of Yogi Ferrell in Dallas, what should the Mavericks do with their young point guard moving forward?

Yogi Ferrell has had an excellent rookie season as the point guard of the Dallas Mavericks. His play has given the Mavs an extra option to consider when it comes to finding a point guard for the future.

While undersized, Ferrell was the all-time assist leader at Indiana and was also the third all time scorer as a Hoosier. Ferrell’s ability is unquestionable, but his consistency, size, and ceiling are also uncertain.

Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson made a brilliant find when they brought Ferrell in from the D-League. Ferrell quickly through himself into the rookie of the year conversation and will most certainly make an All-Rookie team. In his rookie year, Ferrell has averaged a solid 10 PPG, four assists per game, and two rebounds a game. Ferrell’s speed, shooting ability, and passing skills are what enticed the Mavs’ brass to give him a shot as the starter.

Perhaps most intriguing about Ferrell however, is his maturity. Rookie point guards who set the league on fire for a few weeks tend to let the praise and hysteria creep into their heads, but Ferrell did not let the hype feed his ego. The pass-first point guard showed poise in crunch time, crisp ball-handling and timely shot-making during a lost season.

Ferrell was one of several important pleasant surprises this year for Dallas, joining Harrison Barnes, Nerlens Noel, and Seth Curry as valuable young guns going forward.

The question for the Mavs now becomes, should they let Ferrell take the reins?

If the Mavs chose to give Ferrell the starting point guard job, they would be dealing their cards all in for a guy who played half of a season at a satisfying level. The Mavs could look to find a better backup for Ferrell, as J.J. Barea and Devin Harris have both lost their step as reserve guards. But in an ideal situation, the Mavs should let Ferrell himself become the backup, as he can be the Mavericks’ version of Patty Mills.

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The Mavs have to look for a point guard for the future. The acquisition of Nerlens Noel alleviated their short-term and possibly long-term need for a center, and Harrison Barnes has the small forward position locked down for the foreseeable future.

The Mavs are no stranger to free agency, and could look to pursue Derrick Rose or Jeff Teague. Adding a point guard in the draft however, is what the Mavs need to prioritize.

Having two young point guards will give Rick Carlisle migraines, but the Mavs’ youth movement is already showing significant dividends despite not lasting all the long. If Dallas can add a youngster at the position to join a backcourt containing Yogi Ferrell and Seth Curry, they will be about as well off in their backcourt as any team in the NBA.

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The Mavs have a chance to continue to add young pieces to their already talented core, and have a glowing opportunity to take a major step forward next season.

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