Mavericks underrated youngster proves he deserves final roster spot after 1 game

For the first time since Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 14, NBA basketball was played in the American Airlines Center on Monday evening. The Dallas Mavericks lost the first preseason game of their four-game preseason slate to the Memphis Grizzlies by a score of 121-116, as it was a competitive game throughout despite both teams having severe lineup limitations.

Preseason is obviously a time for coaches to evaluate what the back half of their rotation will look like as well as who will make their final roster spots, as there are obviously plenty of minutes to go around in preseason. There were plenty of takeaways from Dallas' contest versus the Grizzlies on Monday evening, though one must take into consideration that everything should be taken with a grain of salt with both teams not playing close to their full rotations.

Perhaps the most surprising takeaway from the game for the Mavericks was how young guard Jazian Gortman played though, as Dallas' training camp invitee lit up the Grizzlies guards for 19 points on 7-13 shooting from the field.

With two-way contract signee Brandon Williams missing the game due to a right calf strain, Gortman was the first guard off the bench for the Mavericks, and he arguably cemented himself as the most deserving player of Dallas' final two-way slot with his performance in this game.

Jazian Gortman is deserving of Mavericks' final roster spot

From the second Gortman entered the game, his comfortability creating for himself at all three levels was readily apparent, as Gortman set himself up for multiple rhythm 3-pointers off the dribble in the first half. Gortman's ability to get to the rim may not be on the level of other young guards in Dallas' lineup such as Williams and Jaden Hardy, but he was still fairly dynamic on his drives to the rim and made an extremely tough and-1 floater in the third quarter.

Gortman's offensive game is definitely tailored to be more aggressive compared to a lot of guards, just like he showcased in Summer League with Dallas this past July in Las Vegas, but he showed a tight handle and made smart reads in the pick and roll on multiple occasions on Monday evening as well.

Despite only being 6-foot-2, Gortman also proved that he is no slouch as a point-of-attack defender against other guards, even if the Grizzlies did have some uncharacteristic preseason turnovers in this contest. Gortman finished with four steals in the game, as he hustled extremely hard all night and flashed great screen navigation en route to being able to use his wiry frame to pick the pocket of opposing ball handlers countless times.

Gortman exhibited great poise as the primary ball handler for the Mavericks late in the fourth quarter and only finished the game with one turnover, as Dallas' other young guard in Hardy sat out the fourth quarter after an impressive 21-point performance of his own.

While Gortman's ability to get hot from outside was a known commodity after Summer League with Dallas, his defense and spurts of playmaking from this game were extremely encouraging. If Gortman keeps up this level of efficiency on offense to go in tandem with his energy on the other side of the ball for the rest of preseason, Dallas may need to give him their last two-way spot or reconsider Williams' spot on the roster, even if the Mavericks are very guard-heavy.