3 reasons Derrick Jones Jr. is a dark horse starter for the Mavericks

When the Dallas Mavericks signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a one-year deal in August, the move didn't generate much buzz. It was at the tail-end of free agency and seemed like a move around the margins for the Mavericks to bolster some of their wing depth at the back half of the roster.

Fast forward to us only being a week out from Dallas kicking off regular season action versus San Antonio, and all of a sudden Jones Jr. is in "serious contention" to grab the final spot in the starting lineup for Dallas.

3 reasons Derrick Jones Jr. is a dark horse starter for the Mavericks

There obviously hasn't been a lot that has changed from a fan perspective as only so much can be taken from three preseason games, only two of which Jones Jr. has played in so far, but he must clearly be making an impression on the Dallas coaching staff thus far.

Jones Jr. has been very forthcoming about how excited he is to be in Dallas, and even revealed some intriguing reasons as to why he chose to join the Mavericks in free agency recently.

Jones Jr. is putting in the work early on to cement himself as a key rotation piece in Dallas, but perhaps he could thrust himself into an even bigger role than was assumed for him before training camp and preseason started.

Here are three reasons Derrick Jones Jr. is a dark horse starter for Dallas.

3. Injuries

It's no secret that Dallas has some young talent in their frontcourt and on the wing, and Josh Green was the most plausible young player out of that group to make a run at the starting lineup for Dallas.

Heading into training camp with an October 23 deadline set for the Mavericks to extend Josh Green's current contract, it has been relatively assumed that Dallas is moving in lockstep with Green's camp to get a deal done ahead of the deadline.

However, a deal still hasn't fully materialized yet and Green hurt his back during Monday's practice per head coach Jason Kidd.

While the severity of the injury seems to be minimal, we weren't provided with an extensive update in regard to a timetable for the injury. Kidd also mentioned that Jaden Hardy sprained his ankle, which could be very problematic, but again we don't have a timetable to diagnose the severity of the injury.

If Green's injury is worse than something that may just keep him out a couple of practices then it's worth noting that it could potentially affect the Mavericks' willingness to extend his current deal and they may have to look to trade him at that point, even though that's the worst-case scenario. Furthermore, it will almost certainly open up more rotation minutes for other wings and guards in the Mavericks rotation, especially if Hardy is out for an elongated period as well.

Derrick Jones Jr. could be a huge benefactor from injuries to Green and Hardy early on, especially with the incumbent starter at small forward being Green. Jones Jr. will likely predominately play most of his minutes at the two or three for the Mavericks, and if Green remains injured come opening night then Jones Jr. would be the most suitable candidate to start in his place given he has impressed early on in preseason.

The Mavericks have considered starting Jones Jr. outright over Green anyway though, and our next two reasons provide some context as to why they may go in that direction.

2. Defensive capabilities

With a 7-foot wingspan and 6-foot-7 frame, it's easy to see how the former Slam Dunk Champion in Derrick Jones Jr. has been able to be a ball-hawking one-on-one defender on the wing throughout his career. Jones Jr. has great defensive intangibles and is great at being timely with his hands on defense.

His athleticism makes him a serviceable help and switch defender as well, as Jones Jr. is routinely able to break up pick-and-roll actions as the help defender due to his uncanny ability to cover so much ground.

Jones Jr. doesn't have the most muscular frame compared to the likes of Dante Exum or Josh Green, both other candidates to grasp Dallas' final starting spot come opening night, but he's taller than both of them and just as light on his feet defensively as both of them.

Jones Jr.'s length makes him a pestering force as an off-ball defender as he's already showcased his ability to pick passing lanes early on, which segued into some easy transition offense for Dallas in their first few preseason games.

Jones Jr. is a persistent force on defense, never giving up on a play even if he initially gets beat, and he has some of the best recovery defense in the league because of his verticality. He'll inevitably get beat for not having enough muscle, but otherwise, Jones Jr. might be one of the better defenders on the team.

The writing is on the wall for Jones Jr. to be optimized in the Mavericks' switch-heavy scheme this upcoming season, so only time will tell if his lack of strength or inconsistencies on offense force Jason Kidd's hand in terms of deferring to Exum or Green to be the primary defensive wing in the starting lineup.

1. Derrick Jones Jr. has impressed early on

Derrick Jones Jr has arguably been one of Dallas' biggest bright spots through three preseason games thus far. He hasn't had any glaring mistakes defensively and has been filling in so many different intricacies of the game that Dallas struggled with last year. Jones Jr. has been a great offensive rebounder so far in his first few preseason games, and hustle and desire to win 50/50 balls hasn't gone unnoticed.

The Mavericks will have the opportunity to run some intriguing actions with Jones Jr. because of how much of a raw athlete he is. In the Mavericks' second preseason game in Abu Dhabi versus Minnesota, they ran a set called "77 Spain Veer STS." The set involved a stagger at the top of the key whilst Jones Jr. rolled weak-side off a back screen by Seth Curry for a lob that was almost converted off a pass from Exum.

The Mavericks don't have too many players on their roster that they could even try running this play for consistently, as Jones Jr.'s leaping ability combined with his ability to contort his body mid-air to make adjustments to try and finish is second to none. He obviously missed the dunk in the clip, but his ability to get involved as a cutter and short-roller within Dallas' half-court offense can't be understated.

Jones Jr. has been everything Mavericks fans could've hoped for in preseason thus far when the team signed him to a one-year deal back in August, but the eighth-year wing will have to continue to expand upon his 33.8 percent (career-high) from three-point range that he shot last season if he wants to be the permanent starter in Dallas this season next to Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Grant Williams, and Dereck Lively II.

Derrick Jones Jr. may not have the tools to be a serious threat attacking off the dribble like Green or Exum might, but he's far from one-dimensional on offense compared to some of the Mavericks' wings that played last year.

Despite this being his eighth season in the league, Jones Jr. is only 26-years-old and had a career season from beyond the arc last year so he has an opportunity to defy expectations as a dark horse starter in Dallas if he continues to impress.

We'll have you covered with the latest on Derrick Jones Jr. and the rest of the Dallas Mavericks as opening night versus the San Antonio Spurs on October 25 is quickly approaching.