Wild stat shows why Mavericks made unexpected move for defensive menace

Heading into this offseason, the Dallas Mavericks had their eyes on one move.

The Mavs' main priority was re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. after an impressive showing from him on both ends of the floor throughout the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but Dallas' priority later shifted.

The Mavs' priority was landing Klay Thompson, and after Jones Jr. switched agents right before free agency, Dallas decided to pivot to a move that not many fans expected, but it looks like it's going to pay off.

The Mavs signed Naji Marshall to a three-year, $27 million deal, and although everyone expected Jones Jr. to return, Marshall has the chance to be even better than Jones Jr. was for Dallas. Although their games are similar, Marshall may be the perfect replacement due to his excellence in a few key areas.

Naji Marshall's top-graded defense shows why Mavericks signed him

Last season for the New Orleans Pelicans, Marshall averaged 7.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 38.7 percent from downtown. Marshall turned into a 3-point marksman last season for the Pelicans, but his 3-point percentage isn't even the stat that Mavs fans should be most excited about.

According to BBall Index, Marshall was graded as an A- "perimeter isolation" defender in both the 2022-23 season and the 2023-24 season. This stat analyzes just how effective Marshall was while guarding on the perimeter, and fans should be excited that he was in the upper echelon compared to his peers. He obviously can hold his own in space, and he'll immediately be a top defender on the team.

Marshall is so great defensively because of how well he moves his feet for his size. He is 6-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds, but he can defend some of the best guards in the NBA effectively. Marshall may not be the player that Dallas calls upon to guard star point guards, but I can imagine he'll defend twos, threes, and even fours next season. He's as versatile as they come, and his defense at the point of attack may be just as good as Jones Jr.'s was last season.

Marshall also plays with a level of physicality that every team needs, and just like Jones Jr., he isn't afraid of anyone. He'll be the first player to stand up for one of his teammates in the heat of the moment, and Dallas needed one of those types of players. Marshall is known for doing the dirty work and all of the little things, and those types of wings thrive in Dallas while playing next to Luka Doncic.

Marshall's combination of foot speed, physicality, effort, energy, and size will make him an elite defender in Dallas, and his A- grade from BBall Index exemplifies the exact type of player that the Mavs are getting.

Marshall takes pride in guarding the best of the best, and Mavs fans are going to love his game.