Top 5 players in Dallas Mavericks Summer League history

4. Bernard James

Now this is a name some Dallas Mavericks fans may not have thought about for a long, long time. Bernard James played for three years in the NBA (2012-2015), all for Dallas, but during that time, he carved out an impressive Summer League resume.

James appeared in Summer League in all three seasons he was in the NBA, totaling 10 appearances by the time his career was through, playing 25.8 minutes per contest.

In those appearances, the 6-foot-10 big man put up 10.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game on 58.9% shooting from the floor. He didn’t attempt any three.

But what lands him on this list of those were his stats? Well, the defensive performance he put on. James averaged 1.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game throughout his 10 appearances, showing out on the defensive side of the ball.

Unfortunately, James’ success during Summer League didn’t quite translate to success in the NBA. In his three seasons in Dallas, James only appeared in 92 games, playing 8.3 minutes per game.

His defensive presence translated a little bit, as he averaged 0.8 steals and 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes, but the Mavericks certainly wish his play in the NBA lived up to how solid he was in Summer League.