New Mavericks Acquisition Proving His Worth on Defense

We're still waiting for his offense to come around, but he's playing elite defense to start the season

Oct 24, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Naji Marshall (13) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Naji Marshall was brought to the Dallas Mavericks this offseason to fill the role of Derrick Jones Jr. as a defensive stopper with a higher offensive upside. The offense is still coming around, as he's yet to make a three-pointer and is averaging just 3.0 PPG, Marshall's defense has been elite through the first four games of the season.

Only 26 players in the NBA have played in either three or four games through the start of games Wednesday night, are averaging more than 15 MPG, and have a defensive rating below 100. Naji Marshall is one of those players, with a defensive rating of 98.7.

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Marshall has kind of been playing as a Draymond Green-lite to start the season, showcasing a better-than-expected live-ball dribble and playmaking ability to pair with his elite defense. He was a 38% three-point shooter last year for the New Orleans Pelicans, and Dallas hopes he can get back to that level as a shooter to help space the floor.

Marshall had the game-sealing steal of Anthony Edwards in Wednesday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in a Western Conference Finals rematch. Edwards lit up the Mavs in the first quarter but was limited the rest of the game thanks to PJ Washington and Naji Marshall's defensive efforts.

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— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) October 30, 2024

Jason Kidd is still playing with his rotations early in the year, but Marshall is making his claim as a key member of the bench unit with his defense and playmaking. Once the three-point shot comes along, he could be in some closing lineups.

Dallas is back at home on Thursday against the Houston Rockets, the first of five straight games at home for the Mavs.

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