Al-Farouq Aminu: The Next Shawn Marion?

In the summer of 2014, the Dallas Mavericks made an under-the-radar signing by inking Al-Farouq Aminu to a two-year deal worth the minimum salary with a player option for year two.

The signing was made possible because the Mavs dropped Rashard Lewis, who failed a physical, opening the door for another player to fill the roster spot. Aminu played his rookie year with the Los Angeles Clippers and his next three years with the New Orleans Pelicans but he was looking for a better fit, so he accepted the opportunity to play with a very well-structured team in Dallas.

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Throughout most of the season in Dallas, Aminu was overlooked and never played constant minutes until later on when Chandler Parsons started having injury problems. February was the month where fans in Dallas saw his game open up. From then on, he played at least 20 minutes in all but nine games.

Though his offense wasn’t flourishing at the time, his fundamental skills were proving to be instrumental to a Mavericks team that was desperately trying to stay afloat at the bottom of the Western Conference Playoff standings.

Aminu was impacting the game in ways besides just scoring. He was defending better than any other Mavericks player except Tyson Chandler, and his assists, blocks and steals were giving the Mavs an edge that they struggled to gain in the later portions of their schedule.

This summer, Aminu will decline his player option so he can become a free agent and pursue a bigger deal, one that he deserves after his success last season. If he signs back with the Mavericks, could we see him become one of the next defensive stars of the NBA? The most recent one that played for the Mavs was Shawn Marion, who helped Dallas win the NBA championship in 2011. He’s considered to be one of the most versatile players ever and his defense was crucial for the Mavs during their run to the Finals.

Both Marion and Aminu had different starts to their respective careers. Marion came into the league with a Phoenix Suns team that was already pretty good and had been making the playoffs rather consistently. Aminu, on the other hand, did not. In his first year with the Clippers, his team finished 32-50 while his seasons with the Hornets/Pelicans were worse. All that means is that Marion obviously came to form a little faster than Aminu due to his situation.

So the ultimate question is this: Can Al-Farouq Aminu become the next Shawn Marion of the league, or at least for the Mavericks? His style of play certainly sets up a promising future. Though Aminu’s stats don’t look like Marion’s through his first five seasons, he is excelling in all the same categories that Marion did.

Scoring

Marion’s offensive numbers started around 10 per game and had moved all the way up to about 20 after his fifth season. Aminu’s only ranged from 5-7 per game, but his skill set is similar to Marion’s. He shoots threes only if he has too, but is solid whenever he has to take those shots.

Just like Marion, Aminu thrives in the paint and in situations where he is forced to drive. They both have long bodies that help them snag offensive rebounds and can both make tough shots on big men resting in the lane.

Rebounding

Perhaps the best offensive category for both of these players is their ability to hit the boards. They both provide second chances for their teams and help out by creating plays after those rebounds. Aminu’s total numbers are slightly less but both are better on the defensive end as they should be.

Assists/Blocks/Steals

The most exciting part of both of these players is the amount of variety they bring to the court. They can literally do anything and everything. They both average at least a block and an assist per game and occasionally create fast break opportunites by stealing the ball with their long arms. It’s not often that you find players who can play high and low on the court to create new chances.

Defensive Versatility

This is one of the most important skills each player provides to their team. Both can guard multiple positions and both can play multiple positions. During the 2011 NBA Playoffs, Shawn Marion would guard players from Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to Dwyane Wade and LeBron James as well as centers at certain times.

Al-Farouq Aminu showed that same ability last season with the Mavericks when he would guard James Harden at times during the playoffs and Terrence Jones/Dwight Howard in other situations.

Though his stats don’t look like it right now, Al-Farouq Aminu is following closely in the footsteps of Shawn Marion. If Aminu is able to re-sign with the Mavericks this summer and build off of the momentum he had at the end of the season, you will see his numbers go way up. He will become one of the first players off the bench every night and will be able to cover multiple positions if someone important gets injured.

He may not ever reach the stardom that Marion reached, but he will always have the same intangibles. That is why it’s easy for me to believe that Al-Farouq Aminu and Shawn Marion are some of those special underrated players that you don’t see very often in the NBA. They don’t get all the credit they deserve, but they help their teams win games throughout the season. Players like Aminu and Marion are the true warriors of the game of basketball.

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