Mavericks' fan-favorite sleeper must nail this crucial fix to survive in Dallas

Last season, Dallas Mavericks wing Naji Marshall struggled from downtown as he shot 27.5 percent from three on a career-high 3.2 attempts per game. This was a major drop-off from the 38.7 percent from three that he shot in his final year with the New Orleans Pelicans, and he is dedicated to getting back on track in this area.

In an exclusive interview with The Smoking Cuban earlier this summer after a Swin City game, Marshall said that he worked the hardest on his 3-point shooting during the offseason, and him getting back to being a threat from behind the arc next season could be what separates him from being a real piece of Dallas' core or descending into trade-bait territory.

Last season, Mavericks fans were hopeful that his dominant 3-point shooting off the catch from his final season in New Orleans would carry over to Dallas, but it was quickly evident that it wouldn't. It took Marshall seven games to finally make his first 3-pointer, and he oftentimes would go on dry spells from downtown that the Mavs can't afford next season.

Naji Marshall's 3-point shooting could send him packing

Marshall still makes a major impact night in and night out with his incredible slashing and finishing abilities and underrated playmaking, but they are going to need him to be a threat from downtown for their double-big philosophy to fully take off.

At points over the course of last season, defenses would sag off Marshall, as they knew that his confidence was dwindling, and they'd rather allow him to shoot an open three than drive to the bucket and have a chance to shoot one of his signature floaters. This led to Marshall's increased volume from downtown, as he averaged 2.4 3-point attempts per game for the Pelicans compared to the 3.2 3-point attempts per game he shot for the Mavs, and he must convert on these open attempts to become a key piece of their core as they begin this new era.

Of Marshall's 3.2 3-point attempts per game last season, 2.2 of those attempts were considered wide-open (closest defender being over six feet away), and he shot 26.8 percent on these looks. For reference, he shot 40.7 percent on these shots in the season prior, and him taking and making these shots next season will make life easier on Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford.

All three of the aforementioned bigs like to do their work inside, and if Marshall shares the floor with some combination of them often, he has to provide them with as much spacing as possible. If Marshall can't command the attention of the defense when he's on the floor and catches the ball beyond the 3-point line, defenses will dare him to shoot, leaving no space for Davis and the other centers to do their damage in the paint.

Guards and wings that are on the floor with Davis and Lively II or Gafford have to be able to shoot, and their season could quickly go downhill if they struggle from three again like they did at the end of last season. Over the final two months of last season (February 13 - April 13), the Mavs shot 34.6 percent from three, which ranked 24th in the league on 32.1 attempts per game. which ranked last in the league. These are unacceptable numbers for a team looking to win a title, and Dallas' 3-point shooting could quietly end up being a major X-factor for next season.

It must be remembered that the Mavs were extremely banged up to end last season, with seemingly every role player and starter missing significant time, but the premise still stands.

The players around the Mavs' core three bigs of Davis, Lively II, and Gafford have to knock down threes at a high clip, and if they can't, their spot in Dallas could be in jeopardy. All three of these bigs are locked in on long-term deals, and it seems like the Mavs are dialed in on trotting out double-big lineups for the time being.

All eyes will be on Marshall to see if he can support these bigs with complementary shot-making, and if he can't, he could find himself on another team once the trade deadline comes around. He is set to make $18.4 million over the next two seasons before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028, and if Nico Harrison doesn't think he will be a good long-term fit, he could move on quickly.

Harrison is never afraid to make a trade if someone isn't fitting in the way that he wants them to, and this won't change next season. Marshall has been in the lab all summer working on his game, including his 3-point shooting, and while offseason clips of him shooting have looked promising, his first real test to show off his improvements will be on Monday evening in Dallas' preseason opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.