It's not even training camp but Mavericks already have a D'Angelo Russell problem

Entering the offseason, the Dallas Mavericks were in search of a stopgap point guard while Kyrie Irving remained sidelined with a torn ACL. While fans don't know when Irving will return to basketball activities and be able to impact the game at a winning level again, the Mavericks needed to find a player through free agency who they thought could hold down the fort until Irving could return.

Plenty of names circulated in and out of rumors for the Mavericks, but D'Angelo Russell continued to be talked about as a potential Irving replacement just days before free agency would officially begin. In the opening hours of free agency, the Mavericks would finally strike a deal with Russell on a two-year team-friendly contract that leaves both parties with plenty of motivation to get the best out of one another.

For Russell, he is on the perfect prove-it contract, as he has a player option at the end of his first season. However, for the Mavericks, there is a lot of risk in handing a player like Russell the keys to their offense for the foreseeable future. While it's still early to tell exactly what Russell will look like in a Mavs uniform, there's already a long track record to prove he may not be the player the Mavericks think they are getting.

Mavericks may be putting too much stock into Russell's role

Until Irving returns, the Mavericks are in search of an offensive creator who can carry the bulk of the starting lineups' creation. Russell has proven he can be that archetype of player in short spurts, but the Mavericks may be holding too much stock in Russell having a career season.

Just last year, Russell fell out of favor in the Los Angeles Lakers' rotation, which is a large reason he would eventually be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he would run into the same problem. Due to a lack of consistent playmaking and shooting, Russell has often found himself outside of playoff rotations in his older age, which is a large reason plenty of fans have labeled him as one of the most overrated players in the league.

In Dallas, Russell will not only be asked to turn back the clock and be the player he once was, but he will also need to be one of the focal points of the offense for every regular-season game until Irving returns. Russell has already built a deep record of letting teams down, and the Mavericks may be next in line if Dallas continues to accept the reality of having Russell in its starting unit.

Russell will need to be one of Dallas' main point-of-attack defenders, which is something he hasn't shied away from in the past, but it will still be a tall task for a player who is also expected to be a top option on the other end on a team searching to make the playoffs. The Mavericks may simply be putting too many eggs into one basket when it comes to Russell, and as uncomfortable as it may seem, Dallas' season will hinge on how good Russell can be with the ball in his hands.

Assuming Russell can come out of the gates and avoid early injuries, the Mavericks could very well find themselves as one of the surprise teams in the Western Conference. On the flip side, Dallas could also be in the bottom half of NBA teams with little to no life until Irving eventually returns.

This would not only spell bad news for Irving, as it may force the Mavericks to rush Irving back onto the hardwood, but for Russell, his career may be all but over. The Mavericks are walking a thin layer of ice that could change the course of the next few seasons of Mavericks basketball with Russell at the forefront.