Dallas Mavericks: Rim Protection Will Be Better Next Season

The Dallas Mavericks added Andrew Bogut to their group of centers. Now, they have a trio of rim defenders set to thrive next season.

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks saw the rise of 7’2″ Tunisian center Salah Mejri. He emerged as a solid interior defender during his rookie season and quickly became a reliable option during the team’s five-game playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

During the offseason, the Mavs added a couple of other centers to the equation.

First, they drafted Purdue big man A.J. Hammons with the 46th pick in the draft. Then, they traded for Andrew Bogut since the Golden State Warriors were forced to shed salary after landing Kevin Durant.

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Heading into next season, the Mavs seem to have a group of centers that will make their presence known in the lane, so let’s break down their defensive play.

Returning center Salah Mejri has a unique story. He was signed by the Mavs in the summer of 2015 — after a three-year stint with Real Madrid — and became an NBA rookie at the age of 29.

Last season, Mejri didn’t get much playing time, and he didn’t really start playing consistent, meaningful minutes until late March and early April. While he obviously used his 7’2″ frame to control the boards and lay in easy buckets, it was his defense that set his game apart from others.

Mejri used his long wingspan to block shots from all types of players, whether they were driving guards, forwards maneuvering through the lane or centers trying to back the big man down.

In just 34 regular season games, Mejri had 36 blocks, giving him an average of 1.1 per game. One of his most memorable performances came late in the regular season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, when Mejri blocked both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook down the stretch.

Though he’s already 30 years old, Mejri offers hope for the future, in terms of a center the Mavs can develop into a legitimate defensive presence. His only weakness is sizing up against big, physical centers like Andre Drummond and DeMarcus Cousins.

Andrew Bogut is one of the newest members of the Mavs. Before his ankle injury in the 2011-12 season, Bogut was one of the most dynamic centers in the league, as he was great on both ends of the floor.

After joining the Warriors, Bogut settled into a more reserved role. He still started games but usually wasn’t out on the court to end them as the “Death Lineup” typically took over late.

Last season, he averaged 5.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks in 20.7 minutes per game, but he’ll likely have a bigger role in Dallas due to the lack of an elite defensive big man.

Luckily, Bogut is another player similar to Mejri, in terms of filling the lane. While he certainly isn’t the most athletic player on the baseline, he is great at stepping in and taking charges or cleaning up the boards if he has to.

One of his best games in the playoffs came in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, when he went on a block party early on, swatting four shots in roughly eight minutes.

Overall, Bogut plays the type of game that the Mavs have lacked in recent years. While his injury history is a little concerning, he should fit perfectly into the system in Dallas.

A.J. Hammons is the Mavs’ lone selection from the draft and he’s described as a player who could go either way. ESPN’s Chad Ford questioned his commitment to the game as well as his ability to be a good teammate, but if there’s any coach in the league that is great at getting every ounce of production out of his players, it’s Rick Carlisle.

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Hammons comes in as a player similar to Mejri and Bogut. He is a four-year college student from Purdue and will be the third and final piece to the Mavs’ 7’0″ center trio.

In his senior season, Hammons was a monster inside. Through 33 games, he averaged 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 24.6 minutes per game. He had some incredible games inside with block totals of five, six, seven and eight.

He has long arms similar to Salah Mejri, but he is more of a high-flyer compared to Mejri and Bogut, simply because he’s younger. Hammons is great at slicing through players to make the big play, and he looks a whole lot like JaVale McGee (in a good way) because of his ability to move around inside.

While the Mavs still may not have the elite center they have been looking for, one thing is certain: they have a trio of big men that specialize in guarding the basket. For the first time since the Tyson Chandler years, the Mavs are in a decent situation with their center position.

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