Mavericks' shocking Marcus Sasser benching raises uncomfortable question

Exactly three weeks ago, it seemed like Marcus Sasser would be a rotation staple for the Dallas Mavericks. He dropped 17 points while shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc against the Houston Rockets on opening night, and he emerged as the favorite to be Dallas' point guard behind Kyrie Irving.

His scoring off the dribble and 3-point shooting were both excellent in that game, and he looked like an ideal fix to the Mavericks' problem of not having enough shot creation. Less than a month later, though, his role looks much different.

Marcus Sasser has gone from a key piece to a bench warmer

Mavericks fans expected him to play a significant role moving forward, but his playing time has decreased considerably as of late. So much so that Dusty May benched him in two of the last three games.

Sasser's role in the rotation shrinking this much this quickly is shocking, but it raises an uncomfortable question about his future with the team: will he be on the roster for the rest of the season?

Walter Clayton Jr.'s emergence puts Sasser's future in jeopardy

Sasser is in the final year of his rookie contract, and with Walter Clayton Jr. playing so well, the Mavericks could explore waiving Sasser to sign Clayton later this season. He is the only player on the 15-man roster, outside of Dereck Lively II, whose contract expires after this season, making him seem vulnerable to being cut if the Mavs don't make a consolidation trade to create a roster spot.

Clayton is only eligible to be active for 50 games as a two-way player, and he's been active for all 11 of Dallas' games so far. The team will eventually have to consider signing him to a standard contract or limiting his availability. Signing him seems far more likely than limiting his availability, putting pressure on the players on the outskirts of the rotation to prove they deserve a roster spot.

Clayton has played a massive role off the bench, averaging 7.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from long range. May has trusted him in big moments, playing him 21.8 minutes per game over the last five games, and he has become the Mavs' top reserve point guard. He and Naji Marshall have gained May's trust game by game, while Sasser has sunk further down the depth chart.

How Sasser lost his spot in Dusty May's rotation

Sasser is shooting 37.5 percent from three on 2.7 attempts per game, showing that he still brings great value as a floor spacer, but his size and lack of playmaking make his fit a bit complicated.

He has to play alongside another guard who can run the offense to be fully maximized, and other guards such as Clayton and Marshall have outplayed him lately. Add in that Sergio De Larrea could jump him in the rotation once he returns from injury, and Sasser's role in Dallas looks even more questionable.

Most Mavs fans wouldn't be able to believe that Sasser would be stacking up DNP-CDs in the first month of the season after seeing how he played on opening night, but that's the harsh reality of the NBA. May isn't afraid to bench players when they're getting outplayed, and that's what happened with Sasser recently.

He still has a chance to reclaim his role if he begins to knock down open shots and provide a spark off the bench as he did early on, but his recent showings aren't doing him any favors. Sasser is averaging 3.0 points per game while shooting 10 percent from three on 1.7 attempts per game since scoring at least 10 points in two of the Mavericks' first three games, and if he keeps struggling, he shouldn't be expected to be part of the rotation.

Dallas will be forced to make a decision about Clayton's future in February, assuming he continues to be active every game, and with the way Sasser is playing, he could be the odd man out.

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