Dallas Mavericks: Ceilings and floors for the rookies

Dallas Mavericks guard Nate Hinton has a ceiling of Avery Bradley

Avery Bradley earned playing time with his elite perimeter defense. Hinton is already a better athlete than Bradley ever was, but what made Bradley a starter for years was his improvements on offense.

Slowly but surely, Bradley tightened his handle, developed his ball-handling, play-making, and outside shot. Even now, Bradley is on his seventh NBA contract behind his defense and potential floor-spacing.

Hinton has the desire and the chip on his shoulder to have a similar development as Bradley. A player in Bradley’s mold could be the perfect complement for Luka Doncic to have in the backcourt.

Dallas Mavericks rookie Nate Hinton has a floor of David Nwaba

David Nwaba played three full seasons in college and then spent a full year in the G-League before breaking into the NBA at 24 years old. Hinton may need to spend similar time developing his game before he’s able to make a significant impact in the league.

Nwaba is still an offensive liability but has made an NBA career through his effort and defense alone. Hinton has the same build and athleticism as Nwaba. There’s no reason that Hinton shouldn’t sign a few NBA contracts on his intangibles alone as Nwaba has.

What could take Hinton’s career from emergency backup to featured role-player is developing his offense. Still, finding a David Nwaba-type outside of the draft is a steal in itself.

The Dallas Mavericks could potentially have four future NBA role-players on their hand. Here’s hoping they’re here to stay.