Dallas Mavericks: Theo Maledon 2020 NBA Draft profile

Dallas Mavericks: Theo Maledon 2020 NBA Draft profile

The Dallas Mavericks scouting department constantly receives praise for finding quality talent from outside the United States. From Dirk Nowitzki to Luka Doncic, the Mavs have proved you don’t need to play in March Madness to succeed in the NBA. With questions surrounding the team’s offseason plans, could they fill a need by selecting another European in the 2020 NBA Draft?

Analyzing European prospects can be deceiving due to the unique strategies they employ. Young players often receive extremely limited minutes, and the best players are often not in the starting lineup. Coaches “save” their best players for what they consider the more important moments in the game.

In the 2020 NBA Draft, one of the more intriguing European prospects is Theo Maledon. The 6’4 guard averaged 6.5 points, 1.9 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 15.6 per game playing in LNB Pro A (French League). He shot 39.0 percent from the field, 29.4 percent on his threes, and 90.2 percent from the foul line.

Dallas Mavericks: Theo Maledon one of the most experienced players in 2020 NBA Draft

Maledon also participated in 22 games in the EuroLeague where he averaged 7.4 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game. Maledon’s shooting numbers were slightly better in the EuroLeague. He connected on 45.6 percent from the field, 36.7 percent of his threes, and 68.9 percent from the free-throw line.

The Dallas Mavericks have guard depth on their roster, but it was clear during the restart that they needed another playmaker. Could Theo Maledon solve that and help on the defensive end? Let us take a closer look game before determining his fit in Dallas.

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