1 Current NBA comparison for every Dallas Mavericks rookie this season

With training camp a little over a month away and the draft and free agency behind us, the state of the NBA is in limbo. The once-busy offseason has slowed down, and fans are looking forward to the impending schedule release and the start of the NBA season in October.

Currently, countries across the world are competing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Most notably, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is competing for his home country of Slovenia.

However, rather than sticking to the present, let's take a look at what the future holds in Dallas.

Comparing every Dallas Mavericks rookie to a current NBA player

Throughout the offseason, Dallas has made numerous moves to improve their squad. And in the NBA, improvement in the offseason begins with the draft.

The Mavericks selected Duke big man Dereck Lively II with the 12th overall selection after trading down from the ten spot. Later, Dallas picked up Marquette forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the 24th overall selection. It was yet another draft pick acquired via trade, this time from the Sacramento Kings.

After the draft was complete, the Mavs remained busy, scouring the remaining draft entrants to sign to free agent contracts. Dallas ended up signing a pair of guards in TCU's Mike Miles Jr. and UAB's Jordan "Jelly" Walker.

Mavs fans were given a glimpse of what these rookies can provide in the NBA Summer League. Last month, Mavs veterans and rookies came together to lead Dallas to a 4-1 record, with a positive 8.2 win differential.

As for the rookies, Lively II proved to be a valuable, yet limited contributor. He averaged 8.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while making 68% of his 5.0 attempts per game. Fellow first-rounder Prosper demonstrated his 3-and-D potential. He held averages of 12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game.

The two undrafted free agents, Miles Jr. and Walker, showed out in the Summer League. Miles Jr. proved to be a steady hand at point guard while averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 assists per game. Walker, on the other hand, didn't appear in the first contest but came out firing as soon as he hit the hardwood. Jelly averaged 15.7 points while making an astounding 3.3 three-pointers per game.

The Summer League was just a sneak peak of what these rookies can do. Here, we'll provide pro comparisons for each of the four rookies on the Dallas roster.

Dereck Lively II pro comparison: Nic Claxton, Brooklyn Nets

Dereck Lively II started his career at Duke as a highly regarded prospect. He averaged 14.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game as a senior in High School. According to ESPN, Lively II was the top recruit in the Class of 2022.

While playing for the Blue Devils, Lively II only averaged 5.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game. Although Lively II hasn't posted gaudy stats in his amateur career, his NBA intrigue blossomed due to his combination of size and athleticism.

Lively II stands at 7-foot-1, has a 7-foot-7 wingspan, and weighs 230 lbs. And unlike many centers, the 12th overall selection has the foot speed to keep up with guards and the length to defend all front-court players.

As for Lively II's NBA comparison, that player would be Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton.

Claxton entered the NBA after two seasons at Georgia Tech, where he held averages of 8.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. He began his NBA career with a raw offensive game but with the ability to alter the game with his athleticism, especially on defense.

The former Yellow Jacket went from a project player as a rookie to a Defensive Player of the Year candidate by year four at only 23 years old.

Like Claxton, Lively II has a great frame for an NBA center. Although Lively II's build is more similar to Minnesota big man Rudy Gobert, Lively II is a more fluid athlete, akin to Claxton.

Where Claxton makes his mark is on the defensive end. This past season, he was an advanced stats darling on defense. Claxton finished top-seven in block percentage, defensive win shares, and defensive box plus/minus.

Lively II certainly has the potential to be a defensive playmaker sooner, rather than later. Similar to Claxton, his offensive game will typically consist of dunks and put-backs, but averaging a couple of assists per game isn't out of the question.

With increased time this past season, Claxton showed improved passing chops. He averaged 1.9 assists per game despite typically operating as a roll man or roaming the paint in the dunker spot.

Perhaps what makes Lively II most like Claxton is his ability to defend guards in space and rotate quickly as a help defender.

If Lively II is switched on a guard, he has the ability to move his feet and keep up with quicker guards. Even if a guard gets past Lively II in an isolation situation, he has the uncanny ability to pursue and block shots from behind.

As for his rotation ability, Claxton is a fantastic last line of defense. The same goes for Lively II. He was continuously tasked with playing cleanup man on defense at Duke.

For a majority of the time, Lively II shared the court with fellow seven-footer Kyle Filipowski, who didn't have the foot speed to keep up with quicker forwards. Lively II made an effort to rotate to the rim and play help defense whenever his teammates were beaten off the dribble.

Historical Comparison: Tyson Chandler

Olivier-Maxence Prosper pro comparison: Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Oliver-Maxence Prosper comparison was difficult to make due to the commonality of his positional build.

O-Max is 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. And unlike many lanky wings in the NBA, Prosper is built. He weighed in at a sturdy 212 pounds at the combine, despite Marquette listing Prosper at an even sturdier 230 lbs.

During the comparison thought process, I pondered a couple of players as potential comps. Former Dallas Maverick Dorian Finney-Smith first came to mind before deciding ultimately deciding on Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels.

McDaniels and Prosper share a similar build, although Prosper is bulkier and McDaniels is taller. Both players have seven-foot wingspans which they use to cause havoc on the defensive end.

Heading into college, McDaniels was a top-10 recruit, whereas Prosper was less of a sure thing. Prosper was on the NBA radar in High School, but his pathway was far different. O-Max attended the NBA Latin American Academy in Mexico City where he shined as a prospect.

While both players came into the league in very different manners, they encapsulate what it means to be a 3-and-D forward. The "three" part of 3-and-D was not entirely there while both players competed in the college.

McDaniels and Prosper both shot below 34% from behind the arc in college. Additionally, both players made less than 1.5 three per game in their final collegiate seasons.

However, coming into the NBA, McDaniels was projected to be a plus shooter, even if it would take a few seasons. And that proved to be right, as this past season McDaniels shot 39.8% from downtown.

Neither Prosper nor McDaniels are the most-adept playmakers. Both players prefer to score opportunistically rather than by creating for themselves.

The lack of playmaking can be attributed to O-Max and McDaniel's lack of ball-handling ability. Neither player has a tight handle. The two forwards dribble tall and lack the requisite shiftiness to evade defenders off the dribble.

On offense, Prosper and McDaniels both play bigger than they are. The wings have demonstrated the ability to throw down dunks whenever they're near the restricted area. And, both youngsters have a penchant for putback dunks in traffic.

Where O-Max makes his mark is on the defensive end. The same goes for McDaniels. The T-Wolves forward may post better counting stats, but Prosper is equally as energetic on defense. The only difference between the two players in McDaniels propensity to block shots.

Both players can defend in space and excel off-ball. It wouldn't be too tall of a task to ask either forward to defend positions 2-to-4. The quickness and hustle is apparent when defending guards and the length and strength is noticeable when defender bigger players.

Historical Comparison: Al-Farouq Aminu

Mike Miles Jr. pro comparison: Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets

Mike Miles Jr. excelled as an undersized scoring guard in college at TCU. He averaged 17.9 points as a junior for the Horned Frogs. Miles Jr. always scored efficiently, as he shot 49.7% from the floor and 36.2% from three as a junior.

Miles Jr. has a different build than the majority of NBA guards. He measured at about 6-foot-1 at the combine, with a similar wingspan to his height. He tends to look more like an NFL safety or running back rather than an NBA guard. He's a sturdy 205 pounds.

While dissecting different scouting reports, Payton Pritchard and even Jalen Brunson were common comparisons for Miles Jr. However, the former Horned Frog plays more downhill than Brunson and shoots far less from the perimeter than Pritchard.

Initially, Miles Jr.'s game shows shades of Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier. Both players prefer to get to the rim and are undersized combo guards. However, Rozier makes up for his height with a long wingspan.

Rozier has carved out a sizable NBA role. He has averaged more than 33 minutes per game in each of the past four seasons, something unlikely for Miles Jr. given his undrafted status. Furthermore, while starting for Charlotte, Rozier has averaged 19.7 points per game.

Eventually, a more realistic player comparison was settled on, Aaron Holiday. However, their games aren't all too similar. Holiday is more of a floor general, who prefers to shoot from beyond the arc rather than attack the rim. So a career projection might be on par here, but not a skill comparison.

Thus, back to the initial comparison of Terry Rozier. Miles Jr.'s play style happens to be most like Rozier's. His shooting is up-and-down in the NBA like Miles Jr.'s has been in college.

Although both players handle the ball frequently, they aren't plus passers. Rozier has improved in that area over the past few seasons, but he began his career averaging less than 2.5 assists per game over his first four seasons,

All in all, if Miles Jr. is able to achieve a career like Rozier's that'd be a monumental achievement. Even if Miles Jr. can mirror Holiday's career to this point, that'd be a win.

Jordan "Jelly" Walker pro comparison: Patty Mills, Atlanta Hawks

Jordan "Jelly" Walker is a gunner. In his senior season at UAB, he averaged a ridiculous 4.1 threes made per game. He can shoot it off the dribble or off the catch.

Another well-known undersized NBA gunner is former Brooklyn Nets and current Atlanta Hawks guard Patty Mills. Mills, like Walker, is an undersized guard who looks to score rather than pass.

Mills is slightly taller, standing 6-foot-1, than Walker who is 5-foot-11, but both players are on the lighter side, near 180 lbs.

Neither Mills nor Walker relies on athleticism to score. If either player drives past their defender, they look to pull up before the help defender or use a floater to score over larger interior defenders.

Where both Mills and Walker make their mark is from beyond the arc. Both guards have quick releases and elevate more than the typical three-point marksman. During Mills' last season with ample playing time, he averaged 2.8 three-point makes per game

On defense, neither of the undersized guards are plus defenders. Mills has never averaged more than a steal per game but does compete on the less glamorous end.

Whenever Mills plays defense, he does so with gusto. Most NBAers would likely consider Mills a pest on defense. Jelly falls under the "pest" category on defense, too. He is a quick-twitch athlete who will bug the opposing guard while stepping into the passing lane from time to time.

Like Miles Jr., Walker joined the Mavs as an undrafted free agent. If Walker can carve a career like the former second-rounder Mills, then that'd be considered a success.