Did Brandon Knight show enough with Mavericks to earn another NBA chance?

The Dallas Mavericks are currently dealing with a COVID outbreak that does not appear to be letting up. Josh Green and Reggie Bullock have entered and exited the health and safety protocols over the last two weeks, but the Mavs added Brandon Knight and Boban Marjanovic on Dec. 29 to give them seven players currently in the protocols.

Knight was signed as a replacement player to a ten-day deal on Dec. 22 to fill in for Luka Doncic and Trey Burke when they entered the protocols. He was out of the NBA last season after a string of injuries derailed his career. The 30-year-old just needed another opportunity.

He got it in Dallas. Knight was the team’s backup point guard for three straight games, and he played a key role in the Mavericks win over the Blazers on Dec. 27. The 6’2 guard will likely remain in the protocols until his ten-day deal expires, but did he show enough to earn another opportunity?

Did Brandon Knight show enough with Dallas Mavericks to earn another chance?

The Mavs needed a steady-handed veteran to be their backup point guard after Jalen Brunson was the team's only option not on the sidelines. They were searching for someone that could organize the second unit and keep their offense rolling on the fly. Knight had worked with head coach Jason Kidd when he was in Milwaukee and had plenty of experience as a starting point guard.

The veteran gave the Mavs a different dimension. He can beat defenders off the dribble by using his speed and quickness. See him drive past Damian Lillard for a score below.

It was a gut punch for the Mavericks to see Knight enter the protocols just days after his stellar performance in Portland. Head coach Jason Kidd had this to say on Dec. 29 about Knight going out.

"This morning, that’s a blow. That just sucks for someone who was fighting to get back in the league, and he was doing everything right, had a great game in Portland. He was crushed. I was crushed. We were all crushed."

Knight averaged 10.0 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.3 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per over his three-game stint in Dallas. He is only 30 years old, and Knight deserves another NBA opportunity. Even if it is just a second ten-day deal with a shot at playing time. He played well and was a vocal leader for the Mavericks during his brief stint in Dallas.

Any team searching for a veteran backup point guard to run their second unit should take a long look at Brandon Knight. Yes, he was struggled to stay on the court in recent years because of injuries, but the veteran is healthy now and ready to get back in the NBA.

The Dallas Mavericks signed Isaiah Thomas to fill in as their backup point guard. Can he prove that he is worthy of another NBA contract during his time in Dallas? Signs were positive in his first game, and it is something to watch over the next ten days.