Could the Dallas Mavericks Keep Fishing in the D-League?

After the amazing play of the Mavericks’ newest star Yogi Ferrell, are there any players in Dallas’ own backyard that we should keep an eye on?

The Dallas Mavericks hit the D-League jackpot with the signing of former Indiana Hoosier Yogi Ferrell. Ferrell’s breakout performance has been crucial for the Mavericks as they battle for the 8th playoff spot. This signing comes as a pleasant surprise for MFFLs everywhere, but now we must ask a million-dollar question.

Can the Maverick’s strike gold again with players from the Developmental League?

Along with Ferrell, the Mavericks have seen success before when playing former D-League stars such as J.J. Barea, Dwight Powell, and Seth Curry. When discussing possible D-League signees, the first place to check for D-League gems is with our own affiliate, the Texas Legends.

The Legends are currently 7th in their respective conference with a record of 15-18. Also, the Legends’ own Manny Harris is the league leader in points per game for the 2016-2017 season.

While the Legends may not be holding down the league in the standings, they have a decent amount of solid players who could very much make an impact in the NBA. The key players Dallas should look at are Manny Harris, Kyle Collinsworth, Jameel Warney, and former NBA star, Ben Gordon.

Now, it should be mentioned that the Legends do have a D-League All-Star in Pierre Jackson.

However, the Mavericks have given Jackson a shot and we have seen what he has been able to offer in Dallas. Jackson averaged 4.4 points and 2.4 assists in his 8 games with the Mavericks, but Dallas could look at some of the guys who we haven’t seen in Dallas.

The Legends’ Scorers

First, the before-mentioned Manny Harris.

Harris, a 6-5 guard out of Michigan, saw some playing time a few years ago with Cleveland and the Lakers. Between 89 appearances with CLE and LAL, Harris averaged 17.6 minutes and shot 35.8% from behind the arc. As for his time with the Legends, Harris averages 26.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.9 assist a game, along with shooting 36.5% from long-range.

At 27 years of age, Harris still has a lot more time left to prove himself worthy of a locker at the American Airlines Center. As the Mavericks seem to be turning into a much younger squad, Harris could be an excellent addition to the team.

Next, former Bulls’ point guard Ben Gordon. Gordon is a definite NBA veteran with 744 games under the belt of his 11 season career in the league. Also, Gordon was a productive player during his time. The former 3rd overall pick in the 2004 draft averaged 14.9 points and shot 85.7% from the charity stripe.

As for his time with Texas, Gordon averages 16.6 points and 4.0 assists for the Legends. However, the statistics that shocked everyone were Gordon’s 40.4% 3-point rate and 93.3% free throw percentage. If Gordon is able to translate that productivity to Dallas, he will be a steal of a signing for Dallas.

The Legends’ Defenders

More from The Smoking Cuban

As for the defensive side of the ball, we start with former BYU Guard Kyle Collinsworth. Standing at 6-6 and 220 pounds, Collinsworth play can be described as very defense-orientated. Although he only averages 6.6 points and 4.0 assist per game, Collinsworth proves to be a force on defense. Averaging 1.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, Big Russia’s aggression makes him an appealing option if the Mavericks are looking for a pest to opposing scorers.

Finally, we look at Jameel Warney. At 6-8 and 260 pounds, Warney’s build resembles that of King James himself. Also, Warney is a force on the court. Jameel has 14.0 points and 6.9 rebounds in 27 games with the Legends. However, his defensive presence is even stronger. Warney averages 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals for the Legends this season. Along with a +3.7 plus/minus, Warney could be another solid pickup for Dallas.

Dallas is trying to build a young, promising team for fans to look forward to in the future. With Dirk’s retirement right around the corner, the Mavericks need to start building a revamped version of today’s team.

MFFLs everywhere should keep a watch on the box score’s coming out of Frisco as the Mavericks have a lot of young talent coming out of the Legends’ organization.

Next: Cuban Talks 2017 Summer Free Agency Plans

Disclaimer: If you haven’t heard, the Developmental League and Gatorade agreed to some rebranding. Starting next season, the D-League will be called the Gatorade League or G-League. That being said, I cringe when I hear the new name. Furthermore, I will not refer to it as such until forced to do so.

Home/Mavs News