Dallas Mavericks: Delon Wright is an advanced metrics darling

Dallas Mavericks guard Delon Wright is having a strong season, but the advanced metrics suggest he is one of the top players in the league.

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Delon Wright in a sign-and-trade with the Memphis Grizzlies last summer. Most believed he would slot in as the starter in the backcourt next to Luka Doncic after a strong finish to last season.

That has not happened, but Wright has played well. He is averaging 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.4 steals in 20.4 minutes per game. Those numbers may not tell the entire story, though.

Wright does a lot of intangibles that go unnoticed in the box score. He plays solid perimeter defense and is fantastic at starting fast breaks. The 27-year-old is shooting efficiently despite low volume. He has been a smart player that is helping the Dallas Mavericks win games. Here is a look at some interesting stats.

Advanced metrics darling

The analytics community has created stats to help better quantify the production of players. They felt like points and rebounds were not getting the job done. The new ones are commonly referred to as advanced metrics. Wright excels in nearly every single one on Basketball-Reference.

He has an offensive rating of 129 which ranks 12th among players that have played at least 15 games. His defensive rating of 105 falls just inside the top 100.

Wright has a win shares per 48 minutes of 0.201 (league average is 0.100). That ranks him 23rd in the NBA ahead of players like Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, and Nikola Vucevic. He also ranks 36th in value over replacement player (VORP) at 0.9. His box score plus/minus is 21st in the league.

Delon Wright is an important piece of the Dallas Mavericks’ success. They need his defense and ability to put pressure on the opposition. He is going to help the Mavs put wins on their ledger no matter how many points he scored.

Fans should keep an eye on the advanced metrics. Most of the Mavericks rank near the top. It will be interesting to see if that holds all season. Stay tuned.