Dallas Mavericks Found A HIDDEN GEM In NBA Free Agency

Dallas Mavericks Found A HIDDEN GEM In NBA Free Agency

[Music] Is Naji Marshall a hidden gem for the Dallas Mavericks? That’s what we’re discussing right here on today’s show. Welcome in to Mavericks today by chat sports. Jeffrey Cooper scene here with you guys. If you haven’t already, please be sure to hit that subscribe button as we’re covering the Mavericks all throughout the 2025 NBA offseason. And the Mavericks obviously signed Naji Marshall last offseason to that threeyear $27 million contract. and he proved to be a fantastic player for this team in his first year in Dallas. Naji last season averaged 13.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, three assists, over 50% from the field. The three-point shooting percentage was not very good at just 27 and a half%. It did get better as the season went on though as he started out super cold from three and then he got really hot there as the season ended as he had the ball in his hands more uh more often after the trade. And Naji’s uh role on this team was to replace Derrick Jones as a uh wing that can both defend and do something on the offensive end. But the difference between Naji and Derrick Jones is Naji is a better ball handler and a better playmaker than Jones was. And that was reflected in their stats last season. And this is not to disparage Derrick Jones by any means because he was fantastic in the Mavericks run to the 2024 NBA Finals. but they signed basically identical deals in last offseason’s free agency frenzy and the numbers I think bear out that Naji Marshall was a little bit better. Now Jones did have a bit better of a field goal percentage and a three-point percentage on less volume than Naji was bringing to the table as well though and Naji Marshall also I wanted to bring up this stat. He also was 56.1% on drives which ranked seventh among 75 players who finished at least 500 downhill attacks. So Marshall was a very good downhill attacker for the Mavericks and he certainly contributed to the floor spacing on this squad. And when the Mavericks brought him in, they weren’t expecting him to play a role where he was going to have to be the team’s point guard on some nights. Well, with the Mavericks injuries that happened last year, the injuries to Kyrie, to Exom, to uh Brandon Williams as well, they kind of thrusted Naji into a role that he wasn’t comfortable with. And he really did excel. and Jason Kidd loved using him to the point where he was basically the starting point guard uh on some nights where the Mavericks decided to just play a lineup of all wings alongside a big. So Naji started 31 of the 69 games that he played last year as well and some of that was as the primary ball handler. Now I think the Mavericks this year are better equipped to handle the ball handling aspect of things with D’Angelo Russell with hopefully a healthy Dante Exom, a healthy Brandon Williams and also with Cooper Flag in the mix. still have him handled some share of the ball as well. So, Naji won’t have to do as much on ball as he did last season. And his contract is very very uh you know a a good contract at least for someone who plays as much as Naji does with 28 minutes a night. He’s making 9 million this year, 9.4 million in 2627. So, I think this is a really good contract for someone who plays that 28 minutes tonight, who can start and come off the bench, who Jason Kidd really trusts to be a key player for this squad. And he’s going to have to be a key player for this squad simply because I think the Mavericks are going to need Naji on the defensive end especially because that’s what they’re priding themselves on. They are priding themselves on versatility and they’re priding themselves on positionless basketball. Naji absolutely provides that in a little bit of a point forward role. Now, you’re not expecting Naji to play like the two guard, so to speak, where he’s going to just be putting up a bunch of shots from the perimeter. No, you’re expecting him to guard you, guard bigger twos, maybe guard some threes and some fours as well. I mean, there were points last season that Naji was guarding the undized fives. So, they want him to guard multiple positions. They want him to be able to be a secondary playmaker on the floor alongside D’Angelo Russell, whether it be Kyrie Irving or whoever it is on the court. and hopefully he’ll be able to succeed even more than he did last season. I want you to guys to grade Naji Marshall for me down there in the comments section. Scale it from one to 100 down in the comments. Grade Naji Marshall as a player. I’ll put him in the high 70s. I’ll put him at like a 78 overall if we’re playing NBA 2K. But go ahead and grade Naji down there as a player in the comment section. Coming up next, what Bleacher Report had to say about Naji Marshall and him being a quote unquote hidden gem for the Dallas Mavericks. We’ll hop right into that here in just a moment. But before we do that, go get hooked up with our friends over at Fanatics. Today, they are giving us 25% off a brand new Mavericks hat. When you go to chatsports.com/mavsale, you’ll find this dope washed gray hat right there with the curved brim as well. Dallas Mavericks. That is 1980, which of course is the year that the Mavericks were found. I love this hat. I went and got one myself. Chadports.com/mavsale. That link is in the comments and description of today’s show. And of course, when you use that link, Fanatics will send us a part of the proceeds as well. So, one more time, chatports.com/mapsale. Go get yourselves hooked up with a hat that looks awesome. Here today, here’s what Bleacher Report had to say on Naji Marshall. Naji was would exist a dimension above this discourse if he were a more consistent three-point shooter. So many combo wings get dismissed or viewed as limited when they don’t provide that smacks you in the face floor spacing element. The scope of his defensive assignments regularly runs the gamut of guards, wings, and bigs. He is more likely to get moved around so that he winds up covering a star than to avoid tracking one. What he lacks in dependable outside range, he makes up for with driving. I don’t even know what that word is. That’s ridiculous. He He can bully his way to the rim, but that’s not his default. He dusted off a nifty floor game during his first season with the Dallas Mavericks, displaying patience and coming around screens, some hesitation handles, and a few footwork counters, all without sacrificing efficiency. My favorite plays that Naji made were him coming downhill off a screen and then knocking down an 8 to 10 foot floater. That was his bread and butter, especially in the second half of the season when he was uh more so running the offense. really liked how that opened up the shooters as well like Klay Thompson and PJ Washington on either side of him. So, I really hope that Naji is able to bring that game into him next season. Hopefully also become a more consistent three-point shooter. 27 and a half% last year really isn’t going to get it done. You hope he can up that to maybe even a league average around 34% or so. And you don’t need him to be taking four or five. If he can take three attempts tonight and go one for three and he’s at 33%, I think that would be more than acceptable. And that would mean he had a better season for the Mavericks than he did last year. And when you look, take a look at the wing depth on this team. Naji, I would put him right now as this team’s third wing alongside Cooper Flag, alongside PJ Washington, and then you have Caleb Martin and Oax who are both below them. And I think Martin’s going to play a decent amount of minutes as well. So you’ll see Naji play in a variety of roles, whether it be a smaller wing or whether it be as an undersized four, which is kind of what he is there at 67. I think he’s gonna be a really good mentor to Cooper Flag as well that we’ve talked about during the off seasonason about how Naji has kind of taken Flag under his wing and basically said, “Hey, like if you need me, use me as a resource. I’m willing to help out with whatever he needs.” And that’s also a big thing about Naji is his leadership and his veteran status on this squad. Like, yeah, he it’s only his second year here in Dallas, but he is looked at at one of those vocal leaders in the locker room. So, I think that Naji could have a really big season this year with the Mavs and hopefully the Mavs are able to bounce back uh and get back into the postseason. And overall, I just think his playmaking and defense provides a really unique skill set that no one on this team has. Like, yeah, they do have wings that can guard and they have wings that can knock down outside shots, but none of those guys are really able to handle the ball, initiate the offense, and do exactly what Jason Kidd wants his guys to do on the floor. That’s why Naji played 28 minutes a night last year, which to be honest is probably a little too much and maybe he’ll get that role even increased if he can prove that he takes another step coming into year six here in the NBA. Other potential gems that I think the Mavericks could have this season, as we talked about, Naji Marshall is the hidden gem. Max Christie is someone that we talked about earlier on the channel. I think Max Christie could be in for a pretty special season for Dallas if he continues what he did, especially in those first seven games that he was in the starting lineup. If you could get a big jump from Christy, you could see him as a gem. And I think they really found one in UDFA Ryan Nemhard, who they signed to a two-way contract. The Mavericks were so happy with Ryan Nemhard after three games in the NBA summer league that they decided to shut him down. And he didn’t they didn’t have to see anymore cuz they already liked what they saw. I think Nemhard’s going to play his max of 50 active games on that two-way contract for the Mavericks. And by the end of the end of the season, they may have to convert him into a standard deal and let someone go. That’s how high they are on Ryan Nemhard. And then of course Brandon Williams who made a name for himself last season when after the trade they used up all of his uh two-way two-way games play where he was active for 50 of them to the point where the Mavericks had to sign him to a standard contract at the end of the year so he could play in the final two games and in the playin as well. I think all three of those guys will have chances to shine this season and they could be the guy that we’re talking about next off season as the Maverick’s hidden gem. So, I really like Ryan Nehard, really like Brandon Williams, and I think Christie as well could contribute into that. Christy is going to have the best chance out of those three cuz he’s going to get the most consistent minutes. But be on the lookout for those three early and often here in the 2025 26 season. Why would I round out today’s show with this question? Who do you think is the hidden gem on the Mavericks? If you think it’s a guy we haven’t even mentioned, put it down in the comments section. And of course, please be sure to hit that subscribe button cuz we’re covering the Mavericks all offseason long. [Music]

Naji Marshall was a very good player for the Mavericks in the 2024-25 NBA Season after the Mavs signed him in 2024 NBA Free Agency as a Dereck Jones replacement. Mavs GM Nico Harrison signed Marshall to be a playmaker and defender on the Mavs alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but after the Luka Doncic trade Marshall stepped into a bigger role commanding Jason Kidd’s offense. Will Naji be able to replicate his first season with the Mavs during the 2025-26 NBA Season alongside Cooper Flagg and Anthony Davis? We break down Naji Marshall on this episode of Mavericks Today by Chat Sports!

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Bleacher Report’s write-up on Naji Marshall:
“Naji Marshall would exist a dimension above this discourse if he were a more consistent three-point shooter. So many combo wings get dismissed or viewed as limited when they don’t provide that smacks-you-in-the-face floor-spacing element. The scope of his defensive assignments regularly runs the gamut of guards, wings and bigs. He’s more likely to get moved around so that he winds up covering a star than to avoid tracking one. What he lacks in dependable outside range, he makes up for with driving acuity. He can bully his way to the rim, but that’s not his default. He dusted off a nifty floor game during his first season with the Dallas Mavericks, displaying patience coming around screens, some hesitation handles and a few footwork counters, all without sacrificing efficiency.”

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Mavs Starting lineup for the 2025-26 NBA season when healthy:
Kyrie Irving
Cooper Flagg
PJ Washington
Anthony Davis
Dereck Lively II
Klay Thompson (6th man)

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