Photo Courtesy: K. Todd Storch
The Dallas Mavericks have the 21st and 52nd picks in the 2015 NBA Draft. In the past, the Mavericks have drafted players and then traded them to other teams during the draft or they’ve traded away their picks. This year, I think that Mark Cuban will draft a player and keep that player on the roster instead of sending the player to the D-League where that player will never be considered for the roster. Or the player will be brought up, but will see little or no time on the court.
Possible players that the Mavericks could draft are: point guard Jerian Grant out of Notre Dame, Montrezl Harrell out of Louisville, Justin Anderson out of Virginia, and possibly Myles Turner or Frank Kaminsky if those two are available at number 21. One prediction has the Mavericks drafting point guard Tyus Jones out of Duke. Don’t get me wrong, he is a good player at both ends of the floor. He put up great numbers at Duke in the only season he played for them, but he was streaky. I’m not sure he will fit what the Mavericks want at the point guard position.
Jerian Grant would be a perfect fit. Everyone saw what he did in the NCAA tournament as the Fighting Irish almost upset the Kentucky Wildcats. He averaged 18 points per 40 games and knocked down 34.5% of his three pointers. He also hit 51% of his 2-point attempts. He is a decent shooter and a decisive passer. He has great playmaking ability and has a great feel for finding the open man. He can also knock down shots in more than one area. His playmaking ability is what the Mavericks need and he can also knock down shots. He is a bit inconsistent on the defensive end, but that can be fixed.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is another possibility at the small forward position. He is a good player, but his offensive game needs work. He also has room to put on muscle, about 15-20 pounds. Defensively, he is a work in progress. He puts great pressure on the ball and has the potential to be a great wing stopper. Offensively, his best attribute is his jump shot. he has a soft touch and a good follow through. He has natural scoring instincts.
Montrezl Harrell is another good player. He is good on offense, but he needs some work. On the defensive end, he is good. He can hold his own against other big men and he doesn’t get back down in the post. While he isn’t the most disciplined defender, he averaged 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks in his college career.
Justin Anderson is the same way as Harrell as he is also good defensively, but his offensive game needs to be polished. While his defense is what attracts teams to him, his improvement on the offensive end, especially on his three-point shooting, will increase his stock. After shooting 30.3% and 29.4% from beyond the arc while at Virginia, he made 47 of his 104 attempts during his junior season. That’s 45.2 %, about a 15% increase.
Myles Turner is another possibility. The main thing about Myles Turner is his size. At 6’11” with a 7’4″ wingspan, Turner is a player who could be a backup center and a player that could be a good rim protector. Along with his height, he can also shoot the ball with range and block shots.
Frank Kaminksy is a player that a lot of teams will be looking to draft. Why would you not draft Frank Kaminsky if he is available? Sadly, he won’t be. But it doesn’t hurt to dream, right? He has the size, effort, and game that teams like in a player. Now, he’s not a flashy player that jumps off the page, but he’s a leader that could help a franchise. He put up great numbers while at Wisconsin. He is also a good player at both ends of the floor. You could compare him to Dirk, except he doesn’t have the unblockable jump shot that Dirk has.
Ultimately, I think that the Mavericks will draft either Justin Anderson or Jerian Grant. Although they need some development, both players are ready to play and will both make an impact on both sides of the floor.
