3 studs, 2 duds from Mavericks Summer League win over 76ers

4. Dud - Chris Silva

It’s just not working. Chris Silva was a fine player on the Miami Heat, and Summer League head coach Jared Dudley actually spoke very highly of him heading into the event, but he’s been rough to watch at times.

Obviously, Silva is undersized at 6-foot-8, and while he has some athleticism, he doesn’t possess the necessary attributes to make being an undersized center work, such as Robert Williams’ freak athleticism or Draymond Green’s defensive IQ (when the Golden State Warriors play small ball).

He’s a decent athlete, and during his time with the Miami Heat a couple of seasons ago, he was a pretty solid rebounder, but he hasn’t been very good for the Dallas Mavericks this summer.

Against the Philadelphia 76ers, Silva put up five points and one rebound on 2-of-5 shooting from the field, but he only played 9:13, and all five of his points came in the first quarter.

It’s clear that Silva is trying out there, but he’s often out of position and looks like he’s fumbling around the court, and opposing centers are able to simply shoot over him or work around him.

With Dereck Lively II and a bunch of athletic forwards on the roster, it’s probably best for the Mavericks to leave Silva out of the rotation in favor of Lively or small-ball lineups.