Under the Radar Dallas Mavericks Roster Developments

There’s been a lot of focus on the Dallas Mavericks’ big moves this offseason, like signing DeAndre Jordan and drafting Luka Doncic. But there have been some other important developments on the roster this summer.

It’s easy to only concentrate on the flashiest moves the Dallas Mavericks make during the offseason. We all know that superstars are what move the needle in the NBA. But small things can often make or break a season, and we don’t realize it until long after the fact. Sometimes it’s a young player finally finding his role, or bringing back a solid veteran. Sometimes it’s addition by subtraction.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some developments on the Mav’s roster this summer and what they mean for the upcoming season:

Dorian Finney-Smith’s fantastic summer league performance.

Go ahead and watch the highlight reel above. Finney-Smith is shooting 3’s, cutting to the basket, rebounding, finishing, and finding teammates with tough passes. I’ll admit, I haven’t been high on Finney-Smith. But he’s showing vast improvement in all areas of his game. The Mavericks are short on wings, so if he can shoot at around league average from three, he’ll be a valuable contributor to the team going forward.

I wouldn’t have thought that possible two years ago. Finney-Smith has only flashed potential. He’s never put together any long stretches that would make you think he could be a rotation player in the NBA. But after watching him play in the Las Vegas Summer League, I’m genuinely intrigued to see what he brings to the Mavericks this upcoming season.

Nerlens Noel’s departure.

We’ll always have the halftime hot dog incident, right? The Nerlens Noel era came to an end when the Thunder signed the fifth year center to a two-year minimum contract. I really thought Noel would’ve fit well here, and I’m disappointed it didn’t work out.

I even thought it made sense to bring Noel back. For Noel to sign with another team at such a steep discount tells me things between him and the Mavericks were worse than I thought. And I thought they were pretty bad. Hopefully he gets his career turned around in Oklahoma City.

Salah Mejri re-signing.

The Mej is back for another season in Big D. I don’t love all of Mejri’s game, but he does protect the rim. He averages a block per game in limited minutes, and his per 36 minute stats suggest he could be more productive in a larger role. Unfortunately for Mejri, he’s going to back up DeAndre Jordan, so that larger role won’t be with the Mavericks. But he will provide a solid back up at center, so he does provide value, especially on a one-year contract.

Ryan Broekhoff acquisition.

To those of you concerned that the Mavericks lack 3-point shooting now that Seth Curry and Doug McDermott are no longer on the roster, I present to you Ryan Broekhoff:

Kohl Rast already has a profile of Broekhoff up on the site, so be sure to check that out. Here I’ll just tell you that the Australian forward has put up excellent shooting numbers wherever he’s played. He shot 40 percent from behind the arc at Valparaiso, and 44 percent from three in Europe. Last season he shot 50 percent from deep for Lokomotiv Kuban. It’s possible his numbers won’t translate to the NBA, but I’d bet on Broekhoff’s shot traveling.

Next: Will DeAndre Jordan be with the Mavs long-term?

It’s easy to get caught up in a team’s big moves during the offseason, but it’s important to pay attention to the small things. Player development, bringing back veterans who know the team’s system, and smart international signings are all important. The Mavericks are in the midst of a rebuild, and everything they do matters. I like the mix of players they’ve assembled so far, and look forward to seeing them on the court.