The Dallas Mavericks' offseason is in full effect, and fans are already hypothesizing how Nico Harrison might bring the team back to life. While it might require a homerun selection, the Mavs are likely to keep their first-round pick and draft a player who can help the team win now.
There's a slew of players fans have fallen in love with over the last few months, but one selection the Mavericks could make that might make up for trading Luka Doncic would be Egor Demin. The former BYU star plays a similar style of basketball compared to Doncic, with his elite playmaking and ability to make the defense look dumb.
By no means would Demin fill in the shoes of what Doncic provided for Dallas, but his presence would fill a much-wanted need for the Mavericks due to their lack of playmaking. Not only does Dallas lack ball handlers, but with Kyrie Irving likely sidelined until January of next year, the Mavericks will need any guard help they can get.
Brandon Williams was one of the few names fans raved about last season, which was for good reason. Williams not only flashed the potential to be an Irving replacement down the line, but he was also able to control the offense at critical points in the season. Despite this, Dallas must avoid overrating Williams, which might cause them to miss out on other potential guard options.
Mavericks can't overvalue Williams despite strong season
There's no doubt Williams was one of the few Mavericks last season to make a positive impact and get the fans out of their seats. After injuries began to plague Dallas' season, Williams found himself with an increased role and took full advantage of the moment because of his expanded minutes.
As the season inched closer to the playoffs and with the Mavericks having two open roster spots, Williams was finally signed to a one-year standard contract, which guaranteed he would be on Dallas' roster through the playoffs and much of the offseason.
While Williams no doubt earned his shot at playing on an NBA roster for the foreseeable future, the Mavericks must avoid overvaluing him ahead of the offseason. Harrison has a tall task ahead of him with the Mavs in desperate need of help at just about every position if they want to make a serious run at a championship next season.
Williams could make Harrison's offseason plans a little easier, but the Mavericks shouldn't rely on the second-year guard making massive leaps in his game. Williams has no doubt proven he can be a reliable backup guard, but giving him the keys to the offense until Irving is back from his injury might spell disaster for the Mavericks.
Last season, Williams averaged 8.3 points per game while shooting 40 percent from behind the arc, which are numbers that could hint at a possible leap in his game next year. Fans will expect Williams to become a focal point of the Mavericks' offense, whether in a starting role or off the bench, but this shouldn't be a hope Dallas is gambling on.
Harrison should do everything in his power to upgrade the ball-handling position despite Williams' strong end to the season.
Before losing to Memphis, Williams did an amazing job of using his incredible handles to create offensive opportunities for the Mavericks. In addition to his handles, Williams' speed and outside shot-making ability constantly had defenses on their heels.
Williams will no doubt create an amazing guard off the bench next season, but to assume he can step into a starting role for the first half of the season might be stupid on the Mavericks' part.
