Mavericks Forward Thinks He'll Surprise NBA By Fixing His Biggest Weakness

The Dallas Mavericks signed Naji Marshall to a three-year, $51.8 million contract extension this offseason, keeping him in Dallas through the 2029-30 season, barring a trade.

It was a big contract to give to a wing who has mostly been a poor three-point shooter throughout his career. Marshall hasn't even been a full-time starter, even if he's coming off a career year.

The Mavericks held media day on Friday ahead of training camp this weekend, and Marshall says he's put a lot of work into his three-point shot, to the point that he thinks he'll shoot 45% from three.

“Nothing but net threes. That’s it, gonna make me unstoppable. I truly believe that. I worked very hard on that. So, I’m not gonna surprise me, but I might surprise some of you guys.”

Naji Marshall on what he expects to bring to this season that he’s been working on:

“Nothing but net threes. That’s it, gonna make me unstoppable. I truly believe it. I worked very hard on that, So I’m not gonna surprise me but I might surprise some of you guys.” pic.twitter.com/QwYHHrgMs0
— Mavs Fans For Life (@MavsFansForLife) September 26, 2026

Marshall would later clarify on Twitter that he "rounded up a lil bit," but if he's even above 38% as a shooter this year, this offense could look a lot different.

Through six seasons in the NBA, the former undrafted forward out of Xavier has shot 30% from three. He peaked at 38.7% from three in the 2023-24 season, his last year with the New Orleans Pelicans, but it was only on 2.3 attempts per game.

When the Mavericks signed him in free agency that offseason, there was a lot of optimism that he would be able to grow on that, but that just hasn't been the case yet.

Through two seasons in Dallas, Marshall has shot 28.3% from deep. Developing a consistent three-pointer would be huge for someone who found a lot of success as a slasher last year, getting a lot of buckets with a pop shot/floater.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (3) poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mavericks Have the Coach to Help Naji Marshall Reach His Goal

While it's hard to get too excited about assistant coaches, the Mavericks were able to bring on a renowned shooting coach to Dusty May's staff, as they hired Rob Fodor away from the Miami Heat.

Fodor has been credited with helping turn Duncan Robinson into one of the league's most lethal shooters, but he was also a shooting coach for Tim Hardaway Sr.

Robinson was a good shooter in college, but having a coach with a pedigree of turning players into great shooters can be huge for Marshall's development.

The Mavericks were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA, and while they added good shooters like Tarik Biberovic, Marcus Sasser, and Santi Aldama, there's no such thing as too much three-point shooting in the NBA.

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