Mavericks' nightmare start hides a future young star fans can't ignore

With last night's 123-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Dallas Mavericks are now 3-9 on the season. This year has been a disaster compared to the NBA Finals aspirations that some fans had before the season began, but a silver lining as of late has been that Brandon Williams is legit.

Williams has fully overtaken D'Angelo Russell's former spot as the team's starting point guard, and he has been excellent as the maestro of the starting five thus far. In two starts this season, Williams is averaging 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 44 percent from the field has been infectious. He has gone from being in headlines for getting arrested earlier this season to being one of Dallas' most consistent players, and he is quickly proving that his end-of-season surge from last season wasn't a fluke.

He has the opportunity to be a high-level role player for years to come with starter potential, and the Mavericks should prioritize him moving forward.

Brandon Williams keeps proving he's for real

Dallas needs to do whatever they can to hold onto him beyond this season if they do indeed enter a full-scale rebuild around Cooper Flagg ahead of the trade deadline, as he has proven that he needs to be a key young piece in Dallas for years to come.

Against Phoenix, Williams finished with 17 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals while shooting 53.8 percent from the field, and he likely would've had a 20-point game if Moussa Cisse didn't pick up multiple offensive fouls to clear out the paint as Williams drove to the hoop. Williams' game against the Suns was one of the best games of his young Mavericks career, as he showcased that he is much more than a scorer.

Williams' passing was on full display on Wednesday night, as he posted a Mavericks career-high in assists in a game with nine. He made some great decisions out of the pick and roll, whether that was an alley-oop pass to Daniel Gafford for a slam or a perfectly arcing pass to P.J. Washington for an easy two. He looked comfortable operating as a pick-and-roll ball handler, and even when he wasn't finding his big on the roll to the bucket, he showcased his ability to make reads at the second level.

He found multiple shooters on the perimeter when getting downhill, and his offensive game is looking more complete by the game. His speed in the open court is what sets him apart, as he is often the fastest player on the court for either team, and defenders have an extremely hard time sticking with him when he is heading toward the bucket with a head of steam.

Even in the half-court, Williams hits defenders with a simple crossover or combo move and leaves them in the dust. He then excels at getting to the rim and finishing, and he even let his defense lead to his offense in this one.

Williams typically isn't known for his defense as a 6-foot-2 guard, but all three of his steals were notable against the Suns. He always brings 110 percent effort on that end, and his quick hands led to some steals for him. One of these steals happened when he deflected a dribble hand-off attempt, and he ran down the ball before finishing with a reverse dunk on the other end.

Williams clearly has all of the tools to be a future building block in Dallas alongside Flagg, Washington, Max Christie, and Dereck Lively II, and Jason Kidd inserting him into the starting lineup is one of the best personnel decisions he has made thus far.

The Mavericks aren't winning games, but Williams is putting on a show while playing the right way, simultaneously proving that Dallas can't afford to move on from him when his contract expires after this season. His journey from being on a two-way deal in Dallas for two seasons to earning a standard contract and becoming the starting point guard is remarkable, and Mavericks fans will see plenty more of these career achievements from him if they keep him around.