Dallas Mavericks: Should they call up Isaiah Roby?
By Austin Speck
Dallas Mavericks center Dwight Powell suffered a season-ending injury on Jan. 21. Should the Mavs call up Isaiah Roby to help fill-in?
The Dallas Mavericks suffered a huge blow at the center position when Dwight Powell suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. He is facing a lengthy rehab and may be on the shelf into next season.
There have been rumblings about the Mavericks exploring the trade market for options. They have yet to make a move, though.
Names that have been floating around are Derrick Favors, Andre Drummond, Dewayne Dedmon, and even Joakim Noah. While the Mavs are working the phones, they have a player of their own that could help fill the void.
Bring up Roby
Isaiah Roby was acquired via trade this past summer in a draft-day swap with the Detroit Pistons. While officially holding a roster spot, Roby has yet to see any game action and has spent the majority of his time going up and down between the Mavericks and Texas Legends.
Roby is by no means a center or capable of playing heavy minutes at the five, yet. This would be a move solely based on delegating the rotation while a veteran is brought in. Whether that is through a trade, free agency, or the buy out market.
Standing at 6’9 and 230 pounds, Roby could help the rotation by allowing Dorian Finney-Smith to slide over to play center when needed. Roby has length and wingspan. Blocking shots, alley-oops in the pick and roll and paint play would help Dallas bridge the gap. At the same time, Roby would get his first real regular-season experience.
With the Mavericks in the playoff hunt and looking at making a move, it is time to give some minutes to the 21-year-old forward. The Mavs are sitting well over .500 and should get a little progressive with their ideas.
The trade deadline is on Feb. 6th, but the excitement and chaos should be starting to happen this week. Keep up with the Dallas Mavericks on any news and info surrounding the trade deadline and any post-game analysis at The Smoking Cuban.