Dallas Mavericks Take SF Justin Anderson In NBA Draft
After a brief offseason and following another first round exit from the NBA playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks have spoken in choosing Virginia small forward Justin Anderson with the 21st selection in the 2015 NBA Draft.
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This is a curious selection given the lack of talent, or even bodies, currently residing in the Dallas backcourt. With a point guard like Duke University’s Tyus Jones and Georgia State shooting guard R. J. Hunter still on the board, it’s a bit of a surprise that the Mavs would take a player who will likely be backing up last year’s free agent prize, Chandler Parsons, at small forward next season.
Anderson certainly brings some youth to the position, an intangible that a team like Dallas could use just about anywhere.
Yet, for a team who’s most glaring needs were point guard, shooting guard and possibly center, drafting a small forward isn’t exactly what I was expecting. Most mock drafts I came across in the weeks preceding the draft didn’t seem to expect this either.
But one particular mock really hit the spot.
Given the history of owner Mark Cuban and general manager Donnie Nelson, I’m really wondering if there will be more to this story – remember how Dirk Nowitzki came into being over the course of the 1998 NBA Draft?
I don’t mean to run off Anderson before he even puts on a Mavericks uniform for the first time, but literally anything is possible when it comes to this franchise that highly covets veteran talent over developmental youth.
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Anderson, standing 6’6” and weighing 231 pounds, brings some skills to the small forward position. He runs the court well, does a good job of locating teammates to get the ball to in high traffic and can absolutely finish above the rim. He’s not quite as tall as Parsons, but he looks to have very similar athleticism to the position. Anderson can probably contribute right away.
Perhaps most intriguing for Mavericks fans, Anderson has some long range shooting ability, something also seen in Parsons. Dallas will obviously play at a higher tempo than Virginia did last season, but Anderson also can play the transition game and brings added defensive ability that head coach Rick Carlisle always covets – when he’s able to get it, at least.
One thing that could also be in play here is exactly when the Mavs expect Parsons to be fully recovered from late season knee surgery that all but wiped him out of Dallas’ postseason run against the Houston Rockets.
Now, Parsons had knee surgery in early May, but then there was Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, just over a month ago, tweeting the suggestion that perhaps micro fracture surgery was at least part of the process:
Chandler Parsons on whether his surgery was of the micro fracture variety: "I don't think they want me to answer whether it was or not."
— Eddie Sefko (@ESefko) May 21, 2015
The Parsons situation will be one to follow closely, and if his recovery and/or availability for the start of next season are any kind of question, then the selection of Anderson makes much more sense.
So, is Anderson simply a future asset for additional veteran talent?
Or could the former Cavaliers star be the eventual replacement for Parsons?
Stay tuned.