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NBA Draft Roundtable: Sleeper Picks for the Mavericks?

By Kohl Rast
Dec 28, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles against Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles against Virginia Cavaliers guard Devon Hall (0) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 23, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball against the Cleveland State Vikings in the first half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2016; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball against the Cleveland State Vikings in the first half at Rupp Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /

The Dallas Mavericks have the 9th overall selection in the NBA Draft, which doesn’t allow for much freedom of choice. However, if the Mavs did decide to go by the beat of their own drum, which players should be considered possible sleeper picks?

Sleeper picks are probably the most exciting part of any given NBA Draft, or a draft of any sport for that matter. Every year there are teams ready to take players earlier than they are projected based on their own scouting and impression from the players workouts. Sometimes the picks are justifiable and sometimes people sit and scratch their heads, but it still happens regularly.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to a sleeper pick.  The first and most common definition has to do with a player that may be off of most team’s radars but is picked early. This one happens in a lot of cases but seems to be more common in the NFL Draft than the NBA.

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The second would be a player that may be highly rated but other teams have slept on him. This case does happen regularly but is not always the common definition for the term. Either way you look at it, someone is sleeping. And a lot of players get slept on each and every year that go on to have great careers.

Dirk Nowitzki was a 9th overall pick. Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone were 13th. Kawhi Leonard was 15th. Heck, even Jimmy Butler was not selected until the 30th overall pick in the draft. These players are easy to see in hindsight, but were slept on by teams earlier in the draft.

Regardless of what your personal definition is, there are plenty of sleeper options in the 2017 NBA Draft and the Mavs would be crazy not to look at them. Here are the staff picks for the sleeper pick the Mavericks just may bite on if things go crazy on Thursday.

Next: Donovan Mitchell

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