Naji Marshall’s offseason work has to go beyond the jump shot.
Yes, the 3-point numbers jump off the page first. Over his two seasons in Dallas, Marshall shot 28.3 percent from deep, a steep drop from the 38.7 percent he posted in his final year with the New Orleans Pelicans. He’s clearly focused on cleaning that up before this season, and for good reason: defenses have been willing to ignore him on the perimeter, and that has cramped what he can do as a scorer.
That part of the equation is easy to see. Marshall still brings plenty of value with the ball in his hands.
He has a terrific floater, gets to the rim at will and can make plays for others. But until the jumper becomes reliable, defenders will keep sagging off him and shrinking the floor.
What matters just as much, though, is what happens on the other end.
Marshall has been a solid perimeter defender in Dallas, but the Mavericks need more than solid from him next season. He finished with a 114.3 defensive rating last season, after a 114.7 mark the year before. Both numbers sit at the bottom of his six-year career and fall well short of the 106.8 defensive rating he had in his final season with New Orleans.
That’s a step back from the defensive reputation that followed him to Dallas when the team signed him in the summer of 2024. His steal production has held up - he averaged at least one steal per game in each of the last two seasons for the first time in his career - but the Mavericks still need him to be sharper at the point of attack.
That issue showed up against opposing guards, who repeatedly gave Dallas problems last season. Marshall is one of the better perimeter defenders on the roster, and the Mavericks are counting on him to help stop that kind of damage from happening again.
The upside is still there. At 6-foot-6, Marshall plays with real tenacity and physicality, and he’s shown he can bother elite scorers. The next step is keeping that edge locked in from possession to possession.
A more competitive Dallas team should help with that. Winning and tighter games tend to sharpen defensive effort, and Marshall should have more room to focus on that end with Kyrie Irving returning after a year-long absence. Dallas needs its backcourt to take a major step defensively, and Marshall could be a key piece if the Mavericks are going to become one of the NBA’s most dangerous defensive teams.
The roster has plenty of size with Cooper Flagg, Morez Johnson Jr., P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.
But the wings and guards have to hold up too. Marshall’s shot is the obvious area to fix, but Dallas also needs him to tap into the defensive potential he showed with the Pelicans if this group is going to reach another level.
In Other News...
Mavericks Opening Night Lineup Suddenly Feels Much More Settled
Dereck Lively II has not yet returned to practice, and his chances of being ready for the Mavericks season opener look slim enough to narrow one of the teams biggest early questions. With the calendar moving toward opening night, Dallas is beginning to get a clearer picture of how its frontcourt will line up, and that matters for a roster still sorting out roles around the paint.
Dusty May is expected to go with Daniel Gafford at center to begin the season, a familiar move for a player who has already started games for Dallas before. The more interesting wrinkle is what comes next: Gafford is slated to take on a bigger offensive role, and that could mean a different look for the Mavericks spacing if his game stretches beyond the usual rim-running duties. [Read more 🡒]
Dereck Lively II Just Became A Bigger Long-Term Mavs Question
Dereck Lively II has become one of the more interesting long-term decisions on the Mavericks docket, with the team facing an October 19 deadline to work out a rookie-scale extension. For now, the expectation is that Dallas will keep its powder dry and take a longer look, especially with Lively still working back from foot surgery and not yet ready to return to practice.
That creates an awkward but understandable pause for a player the Mavericks still view as part of their future, but one whose health and role need more clarity before any multiyear commitment. Recent reporting has also pointed to other players from the 2023 draft class being more likely to land extensions first, which only sharpens the question hanging over Lively as Dallas weighs recovery, fit and timing. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irvings Long-Awaited Return Just Changed These Mavericks Games
The Mavericks are set to open their 2026-27 preseason with a pair of games against the Rockets in Macao, and the trip already carries extra weight because Kyrie Irving is expected to be back on the floor after an 18-month absence with a torn ACL. For Dallas, it is the first real glimpse of how Irving fits into a roster that is still taking shape under new head coach Dusty May, who is sorting through the starting lineup and rotation as camp approaches.
Macao adds another layer to a return that was already going to draw attention, with the games staged at the Venetian Arena. Irvings comeback will be watched closely not just by Mavericks fans but by anyone tracking how the teams offense looks with him back in action, and the setting gives Dallas an early chance to test its new balance in a high-profile international spot. [Read more 🡒]