Mavericks Draft: The Wings
There are a ton of wing prospects coming out of this draft that could fall right into Dallas' lap at 46, so let's take a look at them. By wings, I'm referring to the shooting guards and small forwards that Dallas is really going to examine with their second round selection this summer. Wes Matthews is locked in for the next few years as the starting two guard for the Mavs, and I am actually very excited about that. The iron man can only get better now that he's going to be 100%, and he's officially been acclimated with Rick Carlisle's' offense. Chandler Parsons' future with the Mavs is up in the air as he is going to opt out of his current contract and test free agency. It's been reported that CP doesn't necessarily want to talk to a bunch of teams, just up his contract with Dallas (although his hometown Magic are said to be in play also). I like CP, and I truly believe we haven't seen the best of him yet, but there are a lot of MFFL's that have given up on the 27 year old. Justin Anderson, Dallas' first round pick last year, proved that he can be a real role player as a backup two or three in this league. While these are three very good players, the Mavs were still forced to play with a three guard rotation a lot of the time due to injury and lack of depth at both wing positions. Let's look at the guys that could find themselves filling in those backup slots sooner or later.
SG: Caris LeVert
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Chad Ford's Overall Rank: 41
DraftExpress Rank: 48
2015-16 College Statistics: 16.5 PPG, 4.9 AST, 5.3 REB
Analysis: Caris LeVert is an extremely intriguing second round prospect in this draft. I swear I thought his name Chris for the longest time. But anyway. LeVert was once a lottery bound player out of college, but then injuries hit him...hard. The senior out of Michigan was plagued with a broken left foot at the end of his junior season, which was already surgically repaired earlier in his basketball career due to a stress fracture. Then Caris was forced to miss 19 of his final 20 collegiate games due to an injury in his left leg that apparently had nothing to do with his broken foot (find that hard to believe? Me too). If it weren't for all of his injury issues, LeVert would be a first round lock. The swingman shot 45% from behind the three point line, something the Mavs have desperately lacked off the bench. At 6'7 with a near 7 foot wingspan, LeVert is longer than many guards, and uses that to his advantage to shoot up and over his defenders. LeVert is an incredible ball-handler and with that, creates a lot of space for him to get his jumpers off with little opposition. Although he's long, his skinny frame keeps him from finishing through contact. Defensively, Caris needs to be polished, but his athleticism and length should allow that polish to come rather easily. LeVert could definitely become a role player if he remains healthy, but is the risk worth the reward? Don't forget, head trainer Casey Smith and the rest of Dallas' training staff is one of, if not the, best in the league.
SG/SF: Michael Gbinije
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Chad Ford's Overall Rank: 52
DraftExpress Rank: 52
2015-16 College Statistics: 17.5 PPG, 4.3 AST, 4.1 REB
Analysis: If I could choose two words to describe Gbinije (Silent G is his nickname, so just remember that when trying to pronounce his name), it would be exciting and efficient. Michael is a 6'7 wing that spent a lot of his time at the point guard position for Syracuse. Although he handled the ball a lot in college, he will be much more efficient as an off-the-ball wing in the NBA. His athleticism, experience with guarding multiple positions, and 6'7 stature will allow him to defend both guard spots, and the small forward in the pros. Speaking of athleticism, Silent G's explosiveness at the rim and strength allow him to finish on the drive in exciting fashion. While he's an aggressive attacker, he shoots the three ball well enough to keep the defense honest at 39%. Gbinije's assist numbers at 4.3 per game may not be eye popping, but his court vision is something else. The kid makes things happen. Since his drive is so deadly, his drive and kick game became a lethal weapon in Jim Boeheim's offense. He's a 5th year senior because he was forced to red shirt after his transfer from Duke in his sophomore season. At 24, Gbinije is very old for this draft class, making his ceiling lower than most players that will be selected this summer, but, as I've mentioned in multiple other posts, Dallas likes their rookies to be a little more ready to go than having to worry about developing them for a couple years. A versatile athlete like this kid coming off the bench would be fun to watch and easy to incorporate into an NBA offense.
SG: Ron Baker
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Chad Ford's Overall Rank: 59
DraftExpress Rank: 82 (Not sure why Ford and DraftExpress disagree so widely here)
2015-16 College Statistics: 14.0 PPG, 3.2 AST, 4.8 REB
Analysis: Ron Baker is every coaches dream. The Wichita State senior is a walk-on, turned starter, turned potential second round draft pick. While he's got a great jump shot, it's his work ethic that makes him stand out on and off the court. Baker reminds me a lot of Klay Thompson, whereas no matter where he is or how he catches the ball, he can always find a way to be in rhythm on a jumper. Don't freak out, I don't think he'll be the next Klay, but his uncanny ability to get in rhythm is very similar. Although it's where he excels, Baker's jump shooting doesn't come solely from spot up shooting; he runs well off of screens and pulls up off the dribble with excellent accuracy. Baker's 35% three point shooting will translate better than most college shooters because he extends his range so well and has always shot the three from well beyond the line. With hard work, often comes excellent defense. Baker isn't the biggest or the strongest at 6'4, 212, but he stays low on defense and digs into whoever his opponent is; he never backs down. Unfortunately, Baker's jumpshot is close to the only source of offense that he has in his arsenal. He doesn't excel at creating his own shot, but don't underestimate his jumper. Scouts fear that Baker has hit his ceiling in college, but agree that his game will translate well to the NBA. Dallas could use a 3 and D player like Baker off the bench, but Chandler Parsons is going to have to help him with that haircut. Whether Baker is drafted or not is up in the air, but his hard work should earn him a spot on an NBA roster soon after the draft if he goes unselected.
SF: Elgin Cook
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Chad Ford's Overall Rank: 62
DraftExpress Rank: 77
2015-16 College Statistics: 14.8 PPG, 2.3 AST, 5.1 REB
Analysis: Elgin Cook, the 23 year old senior out of Oregon, is a hard worker with a high motor. At 6'6, with a 7 foot wingspan, Cook is a much longer wing than Gbinije or Baker. This leads to him being a heck of a defender at the collegiate level. As a fighting Duck, Cook defended the two guard slot and both forward positions, and did a heck of a job at it too. Cook has a pretty weak three point game, but his mid-range game is above average, which almost always translates to the NBA. Where Elgin really finds his bread and butter though is as a slasher. Playing off the ball and making quick, sneaky cuts to the basket and finishing with authority is where the majority of Cook's near 15 points per game are going to come from. The biggest problem Cook will likely have when it comes to stepping onto an NBA court is finding out how to play the right position. At Oregon, Cook was forced to play a lot of the power forward position, but he wouldn't last a second as an NBA big. Cook brings a rim attacking presence to the Dallas bench, along with an Al-Farouq-Aminu-type defensive presence, something that any Maverick fan would love to see.
I think there is a very good chance that all of these wings are available at 46 in the draft. Cook and Baker will most definitely be there and might even go undrafted, which is why I think Dallas should pass on either of those two. If the front office likes them enough, they can pick them up off of the free agency wire and let them earn their way onto the team. If Gbinije and LeVert are there, I would love to see the Mavs grab one of the two and start letting them work their way into the rotation. Both of the athletic wings bring something different to the bench, all of which Dallas is lacking in their depth. So far, Gbinje and Cook are the only two to have scheduled official workouts with the Mavs, but there is still time to bring more players in. The draft is less than a week away. Keep checking back here and my twitter accounts (@All_Things_Mavs OR @Jimmy_Crowther) for more posts to come!
