Mavericks can't afford to ignore the NBA Draft any longer
Over the last few seasons, the Dallas Mavericks have failed to find significant contributors through the draft. While some of that is the result of the Mavericks always being in the playoffs, it does seem the focus has always been more on acquiring a big free agent than developing young prospects.
As Nowitzki continues to age, the Mavericks may need to change that going forward.
Here's more from Scott Rafferty of the Sporting News:
"To make matters worse, the Mavericks have done little to turn kept picks into substantial players. In the Nowitzki era, they’ve drafted the likes of Petteri Koponen, Maurice Ager and Byron Mullens in the first round, none of whom have panned out to be anything but footnotes in their team's history. Rodrigue Beaubois, who fizzled out of the league after four injury-filled years, may very well be their best draft-night acquisition since Devin Harris and Josh Howard, which is saying something.
Those slap-happy deals to keep their books open have put the franchise in the dreaded state of mediocrity for the last four years. Their plan has always been to sign a big time free agent instead of finding a gem in the draft. To Cuban’s credit, money has never been an option, but his buy-a-title mentality has lead to little roster stability and flimsy results in the long-run. Because of it, failed attempts at Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala and Jordan come as no surprise."
(h/t Sporting News)
