D'Angelo Russell must embrace the one thing he never has for the Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks and D'Angelo Russell struck a deal with one another in the opening few hours of NBA free agency this offseason. There's no denying that Russell was one of the most coveted names on the free agent market, and while his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets wasn't particularly great last season, he still has a lot to offer for a team like the Mavericks.

Russell has always been an eye-popping player with his scoring capabilities since coming into the league in 2015, and while his career has largely been up and down in his nine-year career, his play has shifted towards the mindset of an older veteran, which could be a reason he wanted to play for the Mavs this season.

While Russell will be a sight to see in a Mavericks uniform and should start almost every game until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear, the fact of the matter is, there are still plenty of questions surrounding Russell's long-term fit in Dallas.

Dallas' early-season fate could rest on D'Angelo Russell's defense

As currently constructed, the Mavericks are missing one of the most needed defensive positions in all of basketball, that being a point-of-attack defender. With this in mind, the Mavericks are rumored to be bringing in Dante Exum to help fill that defensive need, but it's unrealistic to expect that Exum will get a high-value role in the Mavericks' offense, and his health concerns might be too much to make Jason Kidd comfortable with playing him in a large role.

In addition to Exum, the Mavericks also have Max Christie, who is more than capable of being the Mavericks' primary point-of-attack defender, but Christie plays much more of an off-ball two guard and has struggled to stay consistent on the offense end, which leaves Dallas with Russell being the only realistic starting option.

While Russell is by no means a below-average defender, and, throughout his professional career, Russell has been known to be vocal on the defensive side of the ball as well as having good team-defense mechanics, he must embrace a bigger role in Dallas. With the Mavericks having a lack of point-of-attack defense in the starting lineup, it will likely mean that Russell will be put into some uncomfortable situations.

Expecting Russell to be a perfect defender right out of the gates would be foolish; however, Russell must embrace defending the opposing team's best guards if he wishes to outplay his contract. A lot of Russell's playing time will be determined by his effort on the defensive side of the ball, and Kidd's defensive philosophy has largely been surrounded by effort and being vocal.

Assuming Russell can step up and be an above-average defender for Kidd and the Mavericks, then the Mavericks could be expected to win a lot more games than they are projected to this coming season. As unfortunate as it may sound to some Russell haters, a lot of next year's success will revolve around his defensive intensity and ability to defend at the point of attack.

Historically, Russell has been an above-average defender throughout the regular season, but as the second games begin to matter in March and April, his productivity slowly fades away. In fact, in Los Angeles' playoff run two seasons ago, Russell fell out of the rotation entirely due to his inconsistent offense and ineffectiveness on defense.

While this will be a tall ask of Russell for 82 games, assuming he can step up to the plate and deliver on defense will only make his time with the Mavericks more valuable.