Dallas Mavericks: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20

2. What will the point guard situation look like?

Head coach Rick Carlisle has his work cut out for him at the point guard position. A year ago, the Mavericks’ starting floor general was Dennis Smith Jr. After he and Luka Doncic’s fit together on the court became an issue, Smith was shipped to the Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. That, combined with J.J. Barea’s Achilles injury, paved the way for Jalen Brunson to receive consistent minutes.

22 of the Villanova grad’s 24 games after the All-Star break were starts. Over that timespan, Brunson posted per-game averages of 14.5 points and 4.6 assists. Converting on 50.8 of his attempts from the field, he was a model of efficiency. Brunson proved during that time that as a rookie, he has a future as a starting point guard.

Enter, Delon Wright. A career backup to Kyle Lowry up north, Wright was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies during last season. As a starter, Wright averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. Two things are currently working in his favor: Size (6’5″) and age (27 years old, considered a basketball player’s prime).

Then, of course, there’s the Barea situation:

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It’s not known when Barea will return to the team but assuming it’s before the end of the regular season, his minutes will have to be factored into the point guard puzzle. Averaging 10.9 points and 5.6 assists in 19.8 minutes per game before getting hurt last season, the veteran proved he could still produce at a high level in limited minutes. Will he be the same player after his injury? Could that take away minutes from younger point guards? We’ll find out soon.