Mavericks must be patient with Tobi Lawal to unlock his potential

The Dallas Mavericks' draft night was filled with great moves. They started the night off by drafting Morez Johnson Jr., later traded up to select Sergio De Larrea near the end of the first round, and stood pat to take Tobi Lawal with the No. 48 pick. Lawal was drafted in the second round after playing four years in college, two years at VCU and two at Virginia Tech, and Mavs fans should be extremely excited about this year's rookie class.

The former Hokie has tons of potential. He went from barely playing as a freshman to starting in 47 games during his two seasons at Virginia Tech. Lawal averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game as a senior while shooting 54.2 percent from the field.

He now brings that potential to a young Mavericks team, but they can't expect him to be a rotation player right away. Dusty May, Masai Ujiri, and Mike Schmitz must be patient with Lawal, and it's easy to see why.

Tobi Lawal brings excitement, athleticism, and potential

The first thing that most Mavs fans realized about Lawal after drafting him was his freaky athleticism. He posted a 45.5-inch maximum vertical leap at the NBA Draft Combine, which is tied for the second-highest maximum vertical leap in NBA Combine history, and his highlight reels are filled with crazy dunks.

He has even been compared to Derrick Jones Jr., the Mavericks' starting wing from their run to the 2024 NBA Finals. Lawal turning into a player similar to Jones Jr. would be a dream come true for Dallas, but he has a long way to go to get there.

The athleticism, physical tools, and upside are all there, but his game needs to grow before May can trust him with NBA rotation minutes. Dallas signed him to a two-way contract for a reason, and this season should be looked at as a growth year for Lawal rather than a year of high expectations.

The Mavericks don't need to rush this

Dallas has enough depth on the wing, meaning Lawal is already hard-pressed to make the rotation. It's not going to be easy for him to crack the rotation as a rookie, giving him the perfect chance to grow in the G League and occasionally play for the Mavericks.

Two-way players are allowed to be active for 50 games in the NBA while also being eligible to play in the G League. The Mavericks have done a great job of developing their two-way guys, as shown by Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cisse's growth last season, and Lawal could join this conversation soon.

What Lawal still needs to improve

Lawal's game is still raw, as his jump shot, self-creation, and defensive fundamentals all need work, but the framework of an NBA rotation wing is there. Ujiri said that he reminds him of OG Anunoby, and if the Mavs are patient enough, he could turn into this type of player.

As he gets more comfortable on offense, becomes a more consistent shooter, and understands his role on defense, he will become even more versatile. Lawal is already an excellent athlete, rebounder, and dunker, and he has the tools to be a lockdown perimeter defender, but he has to put everything together first.

The Mavs can't expect all of these things from him as a rookie, but if they give him some time to grow and work on his weaknesses, he looks like someone who could be part of their young core alongside Cooper Flagg, Johnson Jr., De Larrea, Zaccharie Risacher, and Max Christie.

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