The Dallas Mavericks added a young player from Argentina named Nicolas Brussino. Is this addition a good sign that the Mavs are on the lookout for overseas talent?
This summer, during the mad scramble to make additions to the roster, the Dallas Mavericks grabbed a handful of players from all walks of life. A couple undrafted college graduates, a former college player turned Chinese league star, and even a young Argentinian with limited experience in the professional basketball world.
Nicolas Brussino is a player that was believed to be one of the future stars for the Argentina National team that just competed in the Rio Olympics. He is only 24 years old and mostly unproven, yet the Mavs took a swing and signed him up.
So why did the Mavericks do it, and why is this a good thing for the team’s future?
Room to Grow
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Nicolas Brussino may be young and unfamiliar with the NBA style, but his size and athleticism make him drool-worthy no matter what the situation. Dallas took a fairly small risk in adding him to only a partial contract.
Brussino is coming over to the United States early in his basketball career which is an excellent thing for him. Getting to know the NBA style of basketball, which differs greatly from any other professional league around the world, will get him acclimated right from the get-go.
For the price of an partially guaranteed contract, the Mavs locked up a potential future overseas star. Brussino has an opportunity to be a leader for the Argentinian team in the future and the Mavericks may have a kid that can grow into a great role player in a few years.
Only time will really tell what Brussino is capable of.
Looking Everywhere
The other reason, and I would say the more important reason, is that it is important to note that the Mavericks are still looking overseas for talent any chance they can get. Signing a young player who hasn’t come anywhere near his potential ceiling is something a lot of organizations are afraid to do.
This is similar to what the Mavs did with Dirk Nowitzki, although Dirk was a much more well known name at the time of his drafting. The decision to trade down in the draft just to get a tall European basketball player was absurd at the time, but is becoming the norm now.
For that reason, scouts are broadening their horizon and looking everywhere they can think of for new talent to bring home. Brussino is a good sign that Dallas is doing just that while most teams continue to focus on the big names that are likely to be drafted.
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No matter what the case is, there really is no downside to the addition of Brussino to the Dallas Mavericks. Whether he pans out and becomes a role player or he fizzles and never plays a game in the NBA, the risk is worth the potential reward.