Mavericks fan-favorite's stunning 180 is poised to change everything for Dallas

Through three preseason games, it's hard to really learn anything substantial from the current rendition of this Dallas Mavericks team, as fans and analysts will have to see them in regular-season form through a longer stretch to make any clear takeaways about the strengths or deficiencies on the roster. However, fans can start to eyeball certain trends right now to see if they carry over to the regular season, and one of these trends could be Naji Marshall's improved jumper.

Marshall told The Smoking Cuban earlier this offseason that he had been working tirelessly on his 3-point shot all summer long, as that was probably the biggest weak point in his game last season after only shooting 27.5 percent from outside. Marshall's 3-pointer improved marginally throughout last season for the Mavs, but an abysmal shooting start had fans wondering if he could ever rekindle the 38.7 percent he shot from distance with the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2023-24 season.

Marshall proved that he can be a dynamic ball handler and finisher from the wing position, given a bigger role in Dallas last season, averaging 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He boasts one of the best runners/in-between games in the entire league already, so adding a consistent 3-pointer to his game could undoubtedly make him one of Dallas' only true three-level scorers.

Naji Marshall's consistent 3-pointer could prompt a bigger role

Granted that it is an extremely small sample size, but Marshall has shot 2-6 on 3-pointers through three games of preseason action, and even more encouraging is the confidence with which he is stepping into these shots. It doesn't really appear like Marshall did anything mechanical with his shot over the summer, but he's been far less hesitant when given open looks from downtown compared to last season so far.

It was clear Marshall was in his head about his shot a little toward the beginning of last season, especially since he had come off the best 3-point shooting season of his career with New Orleans the year before, but it seems like the work he's putting in is going to pay dividends for Dallas this season, as it's been clear his teammates are trying to find him open looks from outside through preseason action.

Marshall being consistent from outside opens up a floodgate of possibilities for him and the Mavericks, especially if his in-between game and finishing continue to prove as consistent as they've been. Given that Marshall probably has the best guard skills out of any wing on Dallas' roster (maybe besides Cooper Flagg), Dallas could run out a starting unit with Marshall as the lead point guard, giving them a lineup where everyone is 6-foot-6 and above.

Head coach Jason Kidd can also experiment with Marshall leading these types of lineups off the bench, as this is a wrinkle that could give Dallas unmatched size and versatility defensively, whilst not sacrificing much from an offensive creation standpoint, so long as Marshall can shoot around league-average or better from distance this season.

Overall, Marshall's shooting will be a huge swing factor for Dallas this season, but early signs are looking encouraging in terms of this going in the Mavericks' favor.