Unexpected Maverick is showing Jason Kidd he deserves big minutes immediately

On Thursday, the Dallas Mavericks are set to round out their preseason slate of games against the Milwaukee Bucks on their home floor. This game will not only leave the Mavs with exactly a week before their regular season tips off, but it could be the last chance many of the Mavericks' non-guaranteed players get a shot at cracking the Mavericks' 18-man roster.

While all three preseason games have resulted in a loss, there have been plenty of positives in the Mavericks' first few weeks of training camp.

One major positive that fans have come to find out has been the emergence of Jaden Hardy as one of Dallas' top bench pieces to enter the season. Not only has Hardy looked much improved on the offensive end of the floor, but he's showcased the ability to guard some of the opposing team's best ball handlers during the preseason.

Quentin Grimes is proving he deserves a bigger role

In addition to Hardy looking like one of Jason Kidd and the Mavericks' best bench pieces, newcomer Quentin Grimes is making it known that he is more than just the 3-and-D wing that Dallas traded for at the beginning of the offseason.

When Dallas traded for Grimes in late June, the automatic assumption of the role he would take on was that he would add defensive depth on the wing. Grimes has not only shown fans he can be a reliable point-of-attack defender through three preseason games but he's also showcased the ability to score in bunches.

In Monday night's loss to the LA Clippers, Grimes was by far Dallas' shining star on the floor for a team that struggled on offense throughout large portions of the game. Grimes capped off the Mavericks' only game on the road this preseason by scoring 20 points on an uber-efficient 7-11 from the field.

In one instance, Grimes cashed in on a crazy and-one attempt that saw him put the defender on skates with a sweet crossover move. The fourth-year guard would then hit a step-back three with another player's hands in his face, resulting in a viral clip that had Mavs fans buzzing after the game.

This play not only proves that Grimes will have a bigger offensive role in Dallas than he did in either of his other previous stops, but it also shows that Grimes can be capable of being one of the team's leading scorers off the bench.

With the arrival of Hardy being a potential lead ball handler off the bench, this could make for an interesting backcourt duo in Dallas' reserve unit.

Grimes has all the offensive talent to make for a potential star in a bench role, and it looks like Kidd is allowing him to showcase all of his offensive bag rather than limiting him to be a spot-up shooter.

If Grimes continues to showcase his offensive talent and shoot the ball at a high rate, Kidd will be forced to give the former 25th overall pick more minutes.