Naji Marshall’s start to the season in Dallas hasn’t been clean, but the Mavericks are already seeing why they wanted him locked in long term.
Marshall missed three games because of illness and opened the year with a few rough offensive nights. Even so, the bigger picture has started to shift. He’s settling into a role that fits him better, especially after spending much of last season carrying too much of the creation burden because Dallas was thin at guard.
That load is lighter now. With Kyrie Irving back in the lineup and the Mavericks’ backup guards giving them usable minutes to start the season, Marshall doesn’t have to be the offense’s emergency valve nearly as often.
He’s still involved plenty as a driver and passer, and he remains a key creator off the bench. The difference is that he can pick his spots instead of constantly forcing the issue.
The best sign of that adjustment has been the variety in his impact. Marshall has been a steady playmaker all season, averaging 5.3 assists per game through nine contests, but his defense has started to show up more consistently too.
He’s also not pressing from deep when the shot isn’t there. That mattered in Dallas’ comeback attempt against the San Antonio Spurs last Wednesday, when he drilled multiple clutch fourth-quarter 3-pointers to help keep the Mavericks alive despite shooting just 27.3 percent from outside on the season.
His defensive activity has stood out in a different way, too. Marshall may not be a point-of-attack stopper, at least not yet, but he’s flashing more eye-catching plays on that end than he did a year ago.
A big one came in Dallas’ NBA Cup win over the Utah Jazz on Friday, when he came up with a huge block on Josh Green. That kind of play is part of the package now, even if vertical rim protection isn’t what people usually associate with him.
Marshall has also kept his edge through the bumps. He stood up for Cooper Flagg after Aaron Nesmith’s dirty foul against the Indiana Pacers, and he brought the juice again after an alley-oop assist to Morez Johnson Jr. turned into a thunderous finish against Utah.
The jumper still hasn’t fully caught up to the role he wants to play. Marshall hasn’t become the reliable 3-point shooter he hoped to be by this point, and his lane game with floaters has been uneven as well. But he’s still doing what his nickname suggests: filling whatever job the Mavericks need on a given night.
The numbers back that up. He’s averaging 1.3 steals per game, which would be a career high if the season ended today.
If the shooting evens out, he could work his way into the sixth-man-of-the-year conversation. For now, though, the main story is simpler: Marshall is finding his way in Dusty May’s system, and Dallas’ extension decision is looking justified.
In Other News...
Jeremy Sochans Dallas Decision Could Shape What Comes Next
The Mavericks developmental pipeline got a little more interesting this week as Jeremy Sochan weighed his next step and, in the process, highlighted how much front-office relationships can matter when a player is deciding between staying in the U.S. or heading overseas. For Dallas, the choice is about more than one players immediate landing spot. It speaks to how the organization is trying to position its G League affiliate as a real option for talent that might otherwise look to Europe for a clearer path and a bigger role.
The timing also matters because the broader market for available players keeps shifting. Cedi Osman is facing a lengthy recovery after surgery on his right meniscus, Greg Brown III is set for surgery on a ruptured right Achilles tendon, and Dalano Banton was waived after a brief stint in China, while Ed Davis is dealing with allegations tied to a sports bribery scheme involving Malik Beasley. Against that backdrop, Dallas has a chance to keep building a development network that feels stable and appealing, even if the full payoff from Sochans decision is still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Finally Look Healthier But One Rotation Question Still Looms
The Mavericks are starting to get some bodies back at a useful time, with a back-to-back looming against the Nets and Pacers. Kyrie Irving is not listed on the injury report for the upcoming game, and Dallas is finally getting closer to something resembling its regular rotation after a stretch in which availability has been a moving target.
Even so, the injury report still leaves a few questions hanging over Sunday. Dallas has four players listed, with three already ruled out because of various injuries, so the staff may still have to juggle minutes and roles even as the roster gets healthier. Brooklyn has not submitted its report yet, but the Nets are expected to be without guards Egor Demin and Mikel Brown Jr., which only adds another layer to a game where the Mavericks are trying to stabilize their lineup without overextending anyone. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Frontcourt Problem Is Suddenly Becoming A Real Advantage
What looked like a preseason concern for Dallas has started to look like a roster strength, with the backup point guard spot and the frontcourt both holding up better than expected. Contributions from Walter Clayton Jr., Naji Marshall and Daniel Gafford have helped steady the rotation, while coach Dusty May has gotten the kind of defensive buy-in that can change the tone of a team early in the season.
The bigger development is how that depth is shaping the Mavericks identity on that end of the floor. Dallas has been more versatile with its lineups and has been able to keep energy on the court, with the frontcourt group giving the staff more ways to mix and match without losing physicality. For a team that entered the year with questions in those areas, the early returns have been encouraging, even if the full ceiling of this group is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]