Tarik Biberovic’s defense will make it harder for Mavericks to keep him off the floor

Coming into Dallas Mavericks training camp, there were certainly questions over how effective Tarik Biberovic could be beyond his elite shooting, as Biberovic didn't profile as an elite defender coming out of EuroLeague and the BSL.

Biberovic may not ever be an elite defender at the NBA level, but if he can stick on bigger-bodied wings decently and be a solid team defender, then it will be extremely hard for Dusty May to keep him out of the rotation. May recently stated Biberovic's defense is a little further along than he expected, and while Biberovic still needs to prove he can carry this level of defense over once real games tip off, this is a positive development early on in Mavericks training camp.

If Biberovic's defense continues to be legit, he'll have to get minutes

It's no secret the Mavericks are crowded on the wing, and being someone with no NBA experience, Biberovic is going to be fighting an uphill battle to gain minutes in Dallas' rotation. The NBA has gotten so talented in recent years that one-dimensional players are getting fizzled out of the league, as Biberovic's shooting won't be enough by itself to crack Dallas' rotation.

Biberovic has great length with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, but his lateral quickness wasn't a strong suit in Europe. NBA athletes are on a different level than in the EuroLeague, so he's going to have to prove he can guard consistently at the highest level.

It's undoubtedly promising that Biberovic's defense is ahead of schedule early in camp, but he has his fair share of competition on the wing. Players like Zaccharie Risacher, P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, and Morez Johnson Jr. all profile as more versatile defenders than Biberovic, and none of those players are even guaranteed to start as things currently stand.

Biberovic has the right mindset

To go along with being at least an average defender, Biberovic can also help his case in joining the Mavericks' rotation by being a solid connective passer, running hard in transition, and being able to attack closeouts. The good thing is, he seems to already understand his role and what it will take to crack Dallas' rotation.

“Everybody knows I came here as a shooter, but to stay on the court you have to do multiple things," Biberovic said after a recent Mavericks practice. "Obviously it's an everyday fight. Like, we're here together to make each other better, but still, you're competing every single day.”

Clearly, Biberovic understands that training camp is as much a competition as it is an introductory period for the team to develop and get to know each other, especially for players like him who have no NBA experience. He still has much to prove to guarantee himself a spot in May's rotation, but it's clear he's putting the work in and doing all the little things, such as competing hard on defense, which will make it hard for the Mavericks to keep him off the floor if it persists.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow