Mock Draft #4: SG? SF? Mavs could add swingman in draft
Earl K. Sneed continues his mock draft series, narrowing down the search for the Dallas Mavericks' No. 17 pick to a shooting guard and small forward that could step in and contribute immediately.
Mock Draft #4: SG? SF? Mavs could add swingman in draft
After weeks of evaluating young talent, including positional pre-draft workouts last week, the time has come for the Dallas Mavericks to align their top candidates in a row for Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
Looking for a Day 1 contributor to take with the No. 17 pick in a deep draft, the Mavericks will undoubtedly have an opportunity to fill a position of need in the first round. And according to Hoopsworld.com, that’s exactly what the Mavs will do while addressing the revolving door at shooting guard.
Faced with a decision on whether or not to pick up a team option on eight-time All-Star Vince Carter’s contract and with both sixth man Jason Terry and combo guard Delonte West set to enter free agency on July 1, the Mavericks’ front office could be left with just two young guards -- Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones -- to potentially occupy a position that has been ever-changing since the days of Michael Finley and Jerry Stackhouse.
Now, the Mavs could have an opportunity to plug Connecticut standout Jeremy Lamb into the 2 slot, should the 6-foot-5, 180-pound swingman fall out of the lottery.
Just a month after turning 20 years old, Lamb’s dream of becoming a pro will certainly come true, after averaging 17.7 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Huskies as a sophomore and garnishing an honorable mention for the AP's All-American team. Playing 37.2 minutes an outing in 34 appearances, Lamb also connected on 47.8 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Meanwhile, DraftExpress.com has the former champs addressing the wing positions as well, tabbing Washington’s Terrence Ross, a 6-foot-7 small forward, as the likely prospect on the Mavs’ radar.
Like Lamb, Ross starred on the offensive end in his second season, averaging 16.4 points to go along with 6.4 boards a game. Ross also connected on 45.7 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from behind the arc.
And much like the 2-guard position, small forward could also be an area of need for the Mavs, as they are expected to deal away Lamar Odom in the near future, leaving only Shawn Marion left to hold down the spot.
