Dallas Mavericks: Are There Advantages to Rookies Riding the Bench?

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Jan 26, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Pierre Jackson (55) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Opportunity

Another reason that these young guys are in a better situation here is that any given day can bring them a new opportunity. No matter how good you play in the D-League, it is usually taken with a grain of salt because of the level of competition.

However, if the game gets out of hand in some way or another and a rookie gets in the game, he has the chance to show what he is made of against other big league talent. Obviously in blowout situations, the quality of play is a little different, but it is still against other players that have earned their spot in the NBA.

Regardless of whether they are even getting end of game minutes or not, the opportunity is there for these young guys to watch and learn against some of the best talent in the world night in and night out. That counts for quite a bit in the basketball world.

Opportunity can also come in the form of an injury. In Dallas, there has been no shortage of these as 4 of the 5 starters and most players on the bench have already shown up to games in suits instead of uniforms. When one goes down, the next person has to step up.

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