Santi Aldama is the missing key ingredient to the Mavericks' struggling offense

While only so much can be assumed from one game, the Dallas Mavericks' offense lacked firepower versus the Houston Rockets. Multiple holes are still wide open from last season, but recently signed big man Santi Aldama still hasn't made his debut as he recovers from right knee arthroscopic surgery that he had in March. He can be the missing ingredient that helps elevate Dallas' offense once he returns to the lineup.

Luckily for Dallas, Aldama has been a limited participant in practice recently, so it looks like his return will be coming sooner rather than later. While Dallas' biggest hole in terms of off-dribble creation isn't something the 7-foot Aldama is going to address, he's a very savvy offensive player and will help the flow of Dallas' offense whether he's starting or coming off the bench.

Santi Aldama's return will help patch some of Dallas' offensive holes

Aldama shot 35 percent from outside on nearly five attempts from distance per game last season with the Memphis Grizzlies, as he's a true stretch big who defenses will have to respect. The 25-year-old Spaniard is also a very underrated athlete, as he's a great backdoor cutter, is solid at attacking off closeouts, and can finish over contact at the rim.

He's also a great connective passer, as he can find defensive holes within the flow of Dallas' offense and make smart reads in the short roll. Whether he's playing the four or five, he's more dynamic offensively than Dallas' starting big men, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, even if he's more of a middle-of-the-pack defender comparatively.

Once again, Dallas' offense won't be fixed entirely by Aldama's return, but he'll give their second unit more pop and take pressure off Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving when he's playing with them. The Mavericks are still going to need to find a way to add more talent to their guard corps, and they may need to add another shooter at some point, but it was clear on opening night that they sorely missed their biggest offseason addition in Aldama.

As versatile as Aldama is, he won't fix everything about Dallas' offense

Aldama may be one of the most versatile players on Dallas' roster, as he's a 7-footer who can play small forward if need be. He allows Dallas to explore some intriguing lineup combinations they otherwise wouldn't be able to, and they'll have a massive frontcourt defensively if he's playing at either forward spot.

While it's unfortunate Aldama and Dereck Lively II are out at the start of the regular season, Aldama seems like he'll be coming back soon, so perhaps judgment over Dallas' offensive woes should be reserved until he returns to form. Nonetheless, the NBA won't be waiting for the Mavericks to get healthy, as fans know all too well from last season, so hopefully the Mavericks can figure out some remedies to their offense in the meantime as well.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow