Mavericks' forgotten sleeper is about to erupt with a monster rise

Dallas Mavericks fans should be prepared for another excellent season from Naji Marshall, as a recent offseason clip of him working out with Phil Handy and Jaden Hardy shows just how hard he is working on his game. In this clip, Marshall is seen working on his one-on-one skills against Hardy and others with Handy onlooking, and his 3-point jumper is looking excellent ahead of next season.

He looks comfortable shooting from downtown off the dribble or catch, which was a major focus for him this offseason. Marshall having another big season would be major for Dallas as they embark on the first year of the Cooper Flagg era, and he'll have the chance to be one of the first players off the bench, especially since Kyrie Irving is out as he recovers from an ACL tear.

Marshall came onto the scene last summer after he signed a three-year deal with the Mavs on the opening night of free agency, and although many fans weren't familiar with his game at the time of the signing, he quickly proved that he was going to be a great role player in Dallas. Mavs fans expected the team to re-sign Derrick Jones Jr., but they went with Marshall, who was their backup plan, and he quickly showed that he was much more than Jones Jr.'s successor.

Naji Marshall's breakout could reach another level next season

In his first season with the team, Marshall put up career-highs across the board, as he averaged 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. By the end of last season, he had quietly become one of the best finishers in the NBA, and Mavs fans quickly fell in love with his floater.

Marshall's runner in the lane has been his signature shot for some time now, but he took it to another level in Dallas. He makes this shot look easy, even when the defense is all over him, and him continuing to sink this shot at a high level will be crucial for him next season.

Especially if his 3-point jumper starts falling consistently.

Before his first season with the Mavericks, fans expected Marshall to be a reliable option from beyond the arc, as he shot 38.7 percent from three on 2.3 attempts per game in his final season with the New Orleans Pelicans. They thought that Marshall's 3-point percentage would only rise, as he was set to become a beneficiary of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's on-ball gravity to get him open looks, but he struggled.

Marshall shot 27.5 percent from three on 3.2 attempts per game, and he wasn't the respected shooter that fans hoped he'd be. Teams even began sagging off of him somewhat by the time that the season was over, and his confidence seemingly dwindled at times.

Marshall becoming a deadly shooter and carrying over the positive momentum that he kick-started this offseason would be game-changing for him, as it would force the defense to close out on him much harder and take away any looks that he has. This would help open up the game for him, as he could attack closeouts and get two feet into the paint. He then could get all the way to the rim and score with a layup or floater or dump the ball off to one of his bigs with a lob.

Marshall's passing, especially in transition, was one of the many pleasant surprises during his first season with the Mavericks, and his versatility to effectively play one through three or even four makes him an invaluable piece of Jason Kidd's rotation.

If Marshall's offseason workout with Handy is a preview of what Dallas will be getting from him next season, then he could be due to reach another level in his game that will undoubtedly help the Mavs survive without Irving to begin the year. Mavericks fans have overlooked him this summer despite being the fifth-leading scorer on the team last season, and his offseason rise will put him at the forefront of fans' minds if his game looks this smooth next month.