Dallas Mavericks NBA Draft 2020 grade: Josh Green

Tyler Watts

Dallas Mavericks Josh Green (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Dallas Mavericks NBA Draft 2020 grade: Josh Green

The Dallas Mavericks discussed plenty of options with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. There were rumors of them moving up or trading for a veteran. The Mavs needed to find the right one to pull the trigger on the deal, though.

GM Donnie Nelson could not find the move. The Mavericks decided to keep their first-round and drafted a position of need. They are light on wings, especially ones that are strong defenders. Grabbing a young talent that fills a hole was the way they went.

The Dallas Mavericks drafted Josh Green with the 18th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Green is an athletic and versatile wing. Let us take a look at an instant reaction to the pick.

Dallas Mavericks NBA Draft 2020 grade: Josh Green

The Mavs need a player that can match up against the best scorers in the league. Fans saw Kawhi Leonard burning them on a nightly basis in the playoffs. Great players are going to go off, but having someone that can slow them down and get a few stops is key. Green has the potential to fill that role. He was an outstanding on-ball defender in college.

The offensive game is a work-in-progress. The 20-year-old averaged 12.0 points and 2.6 assists on 42.4 percent shooting from the field during his lone season at Arizona. Green needs to work on his shooting. He is a phenomenal athlete that will throw down some monster dunks. Green should be ready for minutes in the NBA quickly with plenty of potential to work his way into a starter at his peak.

The Mavericks picked Green over Saddiq Bey, who was rated higher by most draft experts. The former Arizona wing is a better on-ball defender that can check point guards, which was likely why he ended up in Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks grade for selecting Josh Green in the 2020 NBA Draft: B+

The Mavs failed to pull off a trade that pushed them firmly into title contention, but they picked the highest player on their board. Dallas improved their roster by selecting Josh Green. The Mavericks need to improve their defense, and the 20-year-old should help there.

The Dallas Mavericks are not done. They have the 31st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, so stay tuned for plenty more.

Tyler Watts

Tyler is an NBA Lead Editor at FanSided. He has been covering the league since 2016. He regularly writes about all 30 NBA franchises and the WNBA. He has seen every game of Luka Doncic's NBA career, and his work has been featured on Bleacher Report and Fantasy Pros. In his spare time, he enjoys going for walks, heading to games, or watching movies with his wife.