Mavericks' overlooked rookie can help fix one of their biggest weaknesses right away

For the second year in a row, the Dallas Mavericks have a rookie class that is far better than they're getting credit for. Last season, they had Cooper Flagg, Ryan Nembhard, and Moussa Cisse as their top first-year players. Both Cisse and Nembhard earned standard contracts after beginning the year on two-way deals, while Flagg won Rookie of the Year.

Tarik Biberovic deserves more hype

Even though Nembhard was traded earlier this summer for Zaccharie Risacher, the fact of the matter is that Dallas has done an excellent job of finding young talent over the last few years. This year, they have Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio De Larrea, Tobi Lawal, and Tarik Biberovic as their four rookies, and Biberovic is not getting the credit he deserves after being acquired by the Mavs in the Santi Aldama trade.

Biberovic is not like Dallas' other three rookies, as he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2023. Despite this, he has never played in an NBA game and spent the last few years playing overseas in Turkey. He is arguably one of the Mavs' most NBA-ready rookies this season due to his electric 3-point shooting, and he seems ready to make an impact on a Mavs team that needs more shooting on day one.

Last season for Fenerbahçe in the BSL, Biberovic shot 48.9 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game. This is incredible efficiency for this high of a volume, and he could be one of the best rookie shooters in the league if he keeps playing this well.

Why the Mavericks needed a player like Biberovic

When looking at how Dallas fared last season, they desperately needed to add more shooting this offseason. They ranked 29th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game last season, and this isn't good enough if they want to snap their two-year playoff drought. They were also in the bottom five of the league in 3-pointers attempted per game and 3-point percentage.

The Mavericks were bottom three in the NBA in three of the most important shooting metrics, and Biberovic will help them in all three areas. He isn't afraid to shoot open shots, makes threes at a high clip, and provides elite off-ball gravity. This will help him make plenty of threes while also helping generate more good looks for those around him.

How Klay Thompson's buyout helps Biberovic

With Klay Thompson officially bought out, Biberovic has a clear path to minutes. The Mavs are going to need his shooting, and if he has a strong training camp and preseason, he could find himself as a key piece in Dusty May's rotation.

3-point shooting is a necessity in today's NBA, and with this being Biberovic's specialty, there should always be a role for him. His rookie season is quietly an extremely intriguing storyline as the Mavs enter this new era, and the spacing, shooting, and reliability that he provides off the bench should help him become a fan favorite right away.

Biberovic already proved that he was one of the best shooters in Europe. Now he just has to do the same thing in the NBA for Dallas.

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