Mavericks will quickly regret D'Angelo Russell signing if dreadful trend continues

One of the Dallas Mavericks ' biggest needs heading into the offseason was guard depth behind an injured Kyrie Irving. While the Mavericks still have a lack of depth at the ball-handler spot, signing D'Angelo Russell in the opening hours of free agency on a team-friendly contract will, without a doubt, help the Mavericks. Still, they have a defensive problem, though.

A continual problem the Mavericks have run into this offseason is their lack of defense at the point of attack. There is no doubt that bringing back Dante Exum on a one-year contract was to help the Mavericks on the defensive end, but with a role not guaranteed, the Mavericks will need to rely heavily on Russell, which has been a trend that has continued to decline.

The Mavericks not only desperately need defense at the point of attack, but they may also be forced to rely on Russell, who has continued to prove over the last season that he may not be the defender the Mavericks need him to be. Although it might sound like a stretch, Dallas' season could hinge on what defensive intensity Russell brings on any given night.

Russell's continual defensive decline could affect Mavericks' season

Since entering the league, Russell has always been known as a scoring-first type of guard. In his later age, Russell has developed other facets of his game from both sides of the floor, including playmaking; however, team defense has always been a lackluster skill set for Russell.

Last season alone, Russell posted a defensive rating of 116 through his two stints with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, which rates him just under the league average of defensive ratings for guards at 116.6. Dating back to his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the major reasons Russell was played out of his starting role and eventually traded back to the Nets was his lackluster defense when on the floor.

While Russell was relied on much more from an individual perspective on the defensive end of the floor with the Lakers, in Dallas, Russell will again be relied upon to be one of the Mavericks' most impactful defenders. In Dallas, Russell will have a much better surrounding cast than he did last season, but regardless, Russell will be defending the opposing team's best guards throughout the regular season.

For the Mavericks, their season could hinge on just how good Russell can be on the defensive end. One problem the Mavericks ran into during the back half of last season was a lack of perimeter defense, which continued to give them issues despite having one of the best defensive frontcourts in the NBA. They could run into the same problem with Russell.

There's no doubt that the Mavericks have a lot of eggs in one basket with Russell when it comes to the defensive end of the ball, but luckily for Dallas, they could have the perfect names to back up Russell. In the starting lineup alone, the Mavericks could have Klay Thompson or Cooper Flagg replacing Russell as the team's primary point of attack defender, which may prove to be a formula that works in the long run for both parties.

It may sound like a disaster waiting to happen for many fans, but there is plenty of motivation for Russell to outplay his contract and shift the defensive narrative that has followed him over the last few seasons. With training camp just days away, the Mavericks will get plenty of reps at what their starting lineup could look like with Russell at the forefront on the defensive end.