Mavericks' dream jumbo starting lineup hinges on risky new guard gamble

Since being signed to the Dallas Mavericks last season, Naji Marshall has emerged as a fan-favorite wing. Not only has Marshall captured the hearts of fans due to his unique nickname, "The Knife," but Marshall has earned attention as one of the league's best bench players.

While Marshall is intending to change his nickname by letting fans decide what he should be called, he is going to be a huge piece within Jason Kidd's rotation in a new era of Mavericks basketball. With the addition of Cooper Flagg, Dallas is ushering in a new era, and one where Marshall is aiming to elevate his play on the court and once again be one of the most important players in Kidd's rotation.

Before signing with the Mavs, Marshall was known as a stereotypical 3-and-D wing who could create off the dribble; however, in one season in Dallas, Marshall developed skills to be a rotational guard. While being a guard and handling the ball wasn't Marshall's strong suit, he proved to be a piece the Mavericks couldn't afford to play without, and the same can be said for this coming season.

Naji Marshall's growth as a guard is key to Dallas' biggest lineup yet

After inking a three-year, $27 million contract in Dallas, Marshall's play instantly elevated when the team needed it most after battling the injury bug for much of last season. While Marshall was one of the players who struggled to stay on the floor for large chunks of the early part of the season, he finally caught his footing and became one of Dallas' best primary creators after Kyrie Irving went down with a torn ACL and Kidd had to start rolling the dice with countless different lineups.

Marshall not only did what was asked of him by changing his playstyle to shape Dallas' needs, but in the process, he developed an impressive floater game and became a nightly starter in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Now, heading into next season, the Mavericks run into the same problem they did last year and desperately need more guard help until Irving returns from injury. While the addition of D'Angelo Russell aids in Dallas' hunt for ball-handlers, the Mavericks have the perfect opportunity to roll out a giant starting lineup.

With Marshall likely being Dallas' starting guard in a scenario where he would be the smallest player at 6-foot-6, he would add to a potential lineup of Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and P.J. Washington if the Mavericks were interested in rolling out a jumbo-sized lineup.

At 6-foot-6, Marshall has the perfect skills to lead the Mavericks' offense assuming Russell misses a game or goes down with an untimely injury. While starting Marshall won't be on any fans' radar, he has the defensive skills to guard the opposing team's best guards, whereas with Russell, it would be a stretch to consider him an average defender.

Marshall would not only answer Dallas' problem of a lack of defense at the point of attack, but his offensive game is just as deadly. Marshall has not only developed an impressive skill to drive to the basket, but he also flashed the potential to be an underrated facilitator with the ball in his hands.

Considering the Mavericks will have floor spacers such as Klay Thompson and Cooper Flagg on the floor at the same time, Marshall has the perfect opportunity to use his dribble drive game to his benefit and earn Kidd's trust even more.

While it would be a tough ask on Marshall's part to be the first facilitator for Dallas' starting five, it may be his only shot at winning his starting job back. Not only do Marshall's guard skills need to develop into a reliable weapon, but he must also become a more consistent shooter in space.

Last season, Marshall did a fantastic job of keeping defenses on their heels due to his ability to nail shots from behind the arc and also attack off closeouts. If Marshall wants any shot at being a potential starter, he must keep those same skills and become a more constant 3-point shot maker.