Mavs' Best-Kept Secret on Roster for 2022-23 Season?
All NBA teams need to get results out of their supporting cast. For the Dallas Mavericks, it's especially pivotal when considering Luka Doncic is now playing on a supermax contract. Ultimately, this is why drafting well becomes so important.
The Mavericks took a chance on Jaden Hardy after trading into the second round of this year's NBA Draft to be in a position to select him. Other than Hardy, Josh Green is the main young supporting cast talent to watch going forward.
Bleacher Report identified the "best-kept secret" from all 30 NBA teams. For the Mavericks, the choice was Josh Green.
Among the reasons for intrigue surrounding his potential is the relative lack of opportunities he's received early in his Mavericks tenure.
"Admittedly, there is some mystery-box-appeal at play here, as the Mavericks haven't given Josh Green too many chances to make a splash so far," Buckley wrote. "He barely hit the hardwood as a rookie and just barely cleared 1,000 minutes as a sophomore."
Green only appeared in 39 games during his rookie season under Rick Carlisle. he averaged 2.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 11.4 minutes per game. The main issue was that he shot 16.0 percent on 3-pointers.
Under Jason Kidd, Green did receive more opportunity to play through his mistakes. He played in 67 games during the regular season and averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. Most notably, he shot 50.8 percent overall and 35.9 percent from deep.
"Still, the glimpses of his game have been encouraging," Buckley wrote. "He's still more of an elite athlete than a high-level hooper, but those physical gifts open all kinds of possibilities, and he started dabbling in them more regularly this past season."
While Green ultimately ended up fizzling out of the Mavericks' playoff rotation shortly after struggling to convert from beyond the arc, it's still clear that experienced progression from his rookie campaign.
Green went on to shoot just 4-21 (19.0 percent) on catch-and-shoot jumpers (half-court) in the playoffs. His efficiency was the worst among all 62 players who attempted at least 20 of these shot attempts.
"While his efficiency flat-lined in the playoffs and cost him his rotation spot, he still shattered his previous bests at every level during the regular season and finished with a 50.8/35.9/68.9 slash," Buckley wrote. "His explosiveness means he'll always add value in transition and timely cuts, but if he keeps progressing as a shooter and defender, he could go from meh to interesting really quick."
While Green may be capable of providing value in helpful areas, it's not going to matter much until he proves he can consistently convert open catch-and-shoot looks. Teams will continue to pre-rotate and leave him open until he does, which is too costly.
Teams will likely take a while to update the scouting report if Green were to enter next season as an improved shooting threat. Even after that, it would open up the game for him to play more to his strengths.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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