16 Players the Mavericks never should have gambled on

5. Alex English

English was the league’s best scorer in the 1980s. Nobody came close to matching his 21,018 points, and the 6’8 forward missed nine total games in the decade. He led the league in scoring in 1983 and made eight All-Star appearances. The Blade was a walking bucket, who surprisingly went from second-round draft pick to superstar.

English began to decline in the 1989-90 season. It was the first time he played under 30 minutes per game since 1978, and the Nuggets were bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Denver knew it was time to move on, and the Mavericks swooped in to sign the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Dallas hoped English could help them stay in contention after the departure of Sam Perkins and Adrian Dantley, but they won just 28 games. English averaged 9.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. He primarily came off the bench but was clearly past his prime.

Alex English played his final NBA games with the Mavericks. He went to Italy in 1991 where he suited up for the final time. The Hall of Famer became an NBA assistant coach from 2002-2013 and will forever be remembered as an elite scorer. Unfortunately, MFFLs caught the final moments of his career, which left plenty to be desired.