Dallas Mavericks: Ranking all the Mavs preseason players, Part 1

12. Jalen Brunson

When the Dallas Mavericks were on the clock for the 33rd pick in the 2018 NBA draft, two simultaneous conversations were going on. One was, how can Jalen Brunson still be on the board, and two was, the Mavs don’t need another point guard. Well, the interest in a great player trumped the positional need and Dallas picked up Brunson.

If Luka Doncic is one of the most accomplished players to come from Europe in awhile, Jalen Brunson may be one of the most accomplished guys to come from the NCAA in awhile. Between two NCAA titles, the National College Player of the Year award, the Bob Cousy award and a first-team All-American selection, Brunson achieved what few others have in NCAA history.

Brunson is hoping to bring that level of expertise and maturity to the NBA with him as Coach Carlisle has already talked about the excitement of getting him involved with the rotation this year.

11. Maxi Kleber

With all the hubbub surrounding the Mavs this summer, I almost forgot about Maxi Kleber. When Dallas added multiple talented players and were still considering re-signing Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell, my first instinct was that Maxi may be one of the odd men out when cutting the roster down to size.

A couple preseason games in and I remember just how fun and exciting Kleber was while on the court. He brings a lot of hustle and defensive intensity while on the court but he also has some poise and a good understanding of the game. I am very impressed with Kleber’s game.

I have Kleber ranked at 11th, although I do believe he has a little bit of room to move up throughout the season. Either way, expect to see Carlisle using Kleber in some rotations due to his versatility and defensive prowess.

Stay tuned to see how the other 10 players on the Mavs roster rank against each other. Who will be number 1?