Dallas Mavericks: Have They Found A Gem In John Jenkins?

Although most of us take preseason games with a grain of salt, this is the time of year when players are given the opportunity to succeed where they have previously failed. Don’t believe me?

Well, take shooting guard John Jenkins for example. Jenkins was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 23rd overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Following his third year at Vanderbilt, a season in which he averaged 19.9 points per game while converting 44 percent of his attempts from distance, it appeared that Jenkins would be a potentially good fit in Atlanta.

Unfortunately for Jenkins, this would not prove to be the case. With players such as Jeff Teague, DeMarre Caroll, Kyle Korver and Dennis Schroder ahead of him in the rotation, Jenkins did not see a lot of floor time. And following a 2014-15 campaign that saw him average just 5.6 points per outing in 24 games, it is safe to say that his NBA career was not going in the direction that he had envisioned.

However, thanks to the Dallas Mavericks, Jenkins has been given a second chance to revive his career. Needless to say, he is making the most of the opportunity. Although the Mavericks have not won a preseason game as of yet, Jenkins has been a bright spot to say the least.

In fact, through six preseason contests, Jenkins is averaging a respectable 20.8 points on 48 percent shooting in 30.7 minutes per contest. So not only is he proving to be a legitimate scoring option, he is doing it in an efficient manner.

Yes, I know that some of you will attempt to dismiss his stats because it’s the preseason. But before you do so, I ask you to consider the fact that he is the fourth-leading scorer behind the likes of Damian Lillard (26.0 PPG), Kyle Lowry (24.3 PPG) and Anthony Davis (23.2 PPG).

That being said, Jenkins is showing that he is a much better player than we’ve seen in the past, and his effort has not gone unnoticed by head coach Rick Carlisle, which he explained to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon:

"“He’s an improved player. He’s stronger, quicker, more aggressive than I remember. He’s really stepped up his aggressiveness. When he steps into the gym, he’s a threat to score. I’ve loved his aggressiveness. The challenge is to maintain this.”"

Whether or not his solid play during the preseason is an aberration or a preview of things to come remains to be seen. And it be may be too early to jump on the bandwagon at this juncture.

But if Jenkins can continue to play with the same level of aggressiveness and efficiency that we have seen so far, there is no reason why he cannot crack the rotation and be a solid contributor for the Mavs this season.

Next: NBA: The Big Question Facing Every Team In 2015-16

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