Tarik Biberovic arrived at Dallas Mavericks training camp with one obvious calling card: shooting. The bigger question was whether there was enough else in his game to survive on the floor once the real competition started. Early in camp, the answer on defense has at least been encouraging.
Biberovic wasn’t viewed as an elite defender coming out of EuroLeague and the BSL, and that was always going to matter in a crowded wing rotation. His length helps - he’s listed with a 6-foot-11 wingspan - but length alone doesn’t win NBA minutes. He’ll have to show he can hold up against bigger wings and do enough as a team defender to stay playable.
That’s why Dusty May’s recent comment stood out. May said Biberovic’s defense is a little further along than expected, which is a useful development for a player trying to carve out a role without any NBA experience. It doesn’t settle anything yet, and Biberovic still has to prove he can bring that level once games count, but it gives him a real early foothold.
The challenge is obvious. Dallas has plenty of bodies on the wing, and Biberovic is fighting against players who already bring more defensive versatility.
Zaccharie Risacher, P.J. Washington, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, and Morez Johnson Jr. all fit that description, and none of them are locked into starting spots either.
That’s the kind of competition Biberovic is up against before he even starts worrying about his own place in the rotation.
His shooting alone won’t be enough. In a league that keeps squeezing out one-dimensional players, he’ll need to add more layers - connective passing, hard running in transition, and the ability to attack closeouts - if he wants to stay in the mix.
Biberovic seems to get that.
“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.”
That mindset matters in camp, where every drill is a test and every possession can help shape a role. Biberovic still has plenty to prove, but if the defense he’s shown early holds up, Dallas may find it hard to keep him on the sideline.
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For the Mavericks, the appeal is obvious. If Gafford can become even a occasional threat from deep, it would open up more room for Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving to work with in the halfcourt, stretching defenses in a way Dallas has not been able to count on from its front line. The idea is still in the early stages, but it is the kind of small tactical shift that can change how an offense feels, especially when it comes from a player who has rarely been asked to do it before. [Read more 🡒]
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For Dallas, the bigger value may come in the information it collects than the result itself. Dusty May framed the matchup as a chance to learn, which fits a preseason environment where the focus is on fit, health and combinations rather than the final score, especially against a Rockets group with plenty to sort through before the games begin to matter. [Read more 🡒]