Mavericks: Why Moses Brown is their most underrated offseason acquisition

The Dallas Mavericks had an uneventful offseason. They couldn't get that big-name free agent they were looking for, and the only significant move they made was the losing Rick Carlisle and Donnie Nelson. These are big news in their own right but won't make the team better right away, which was the goal after the season.

They also extended Luka Doncic and re-signed Tim Hardaway Jr. and Boban Marjanovic, but these things were somewhat of a given heading into the offseason. While excellent team-friendly signings like Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown were nice moves, the acquisition of Moses Brown is vastly underestimated.

Moses Brown did not get a chance to play until the second half of the 2020-21 season when the Thunder started to fully embrace tanking. When he finally did see some consistent time, Brown averaged 8.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. The 7'2 big man recorded a 20 point, 20 rebound game during that stretch. After the season, he was shipped to Boston with Al Horford in exchange for Kemba Walker, then ultimately traded to the Mavericks in the Josh Richarson deal.

Why Moses Brown is the Mavericks most underrated offseason acquisition

Moses Brown's season overall was a little up and down as he's very raw, but the one thing he did at an extremely high level was rebound. Standing at 7'2, Brown would be a massive boost to the Mavericks' rebounding problems. As a team, Dallas ranked 20th overall in total rebounding. Brown ranked 20th in rebounds per game, and he's the only guy in the top 20 to average less than 25 minutes a night. His contested rebound percentage is elite as he was fourth in the NBA at 50.7.

From what fans saw in Oklahoma City, his offensive ability is limited, granted he's only 21 and very unpolished. Brown's biggest immediate contribution is that he brings a tremendous amount of energy. Significant actions like putback dunks and monstrous blocks can energize a crowd and be a jolt of life to a team.

Brown should take over the role meant for Dwight Powell the last few years. There is no problem with Powell necessarily, but the Achilles tear robbed him of some of the athleticism that made him so valuable as a roller and rebounder. I don't see the same spring I saw from Powell pre-injury.

Now again, Brown is only 21, so there will be growing pains. He still has some things he needs to figure out defensively as he struggled in spots last year on an awful defensive team overall. Brown was required to do a lot more than he was ready to do. With that being said, with Brown's height, a 7'3 wingspan, and being extremely mobile, he does have enormous potential.

Bringing in some youth and energy is something the Dallas Mavericks seriously need. Brown is young and has a high ceiling, so he is a valuable player with the right coaching and attention. The contributions that he will bring are being undervalued right now but come regular-season time, Moses Brown will be an integral part of the rotation that fans will love.