The NBA Draft is coming up, which means The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each day, a new team will be analyzed for their past season, their team needs and targets. Today, the Dallas Mavericks will be evaluated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciiAcPHUfSU

Summary

In Dirk Nowitzki’s last season, the Dallas Mavericks finished with the second worst record in the Western Conference at 33-49. Despite the lackluster record, Mavs rookie Luka Doncic was the star of the show for Dallas, averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists.

The presumptive Rookie of the Year will have a new co-star next season. Before the trade deadline, the Mavs acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Knicks, along with Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. Once Porzingis returns from injury, he and Doncic will make an exciting, young duo for the Mavs going forward.

Ranked 20th in offense and 17th in defense, Dallas needs improve on both sides of the ball heading into next season.

Picks

The Mavericks have one pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

First Round: Pick No. 37

Team Needs

Center- The Mavs traded center DeAndre Jordan to the Knicks in the trade for Porzingis, leaving a need for depth. Dallas should consider taking a true center with their only draft pick, to counter Porzingis’ stretch style of play.

Shooting guard- While Hardaway Jr. was productive in the 65 games he played last season, Dallas could use a young scorer behind him.

Potential Targets

First Round, Pick No. 37: Daniel Gafford, C, Arkansas

Daniel Gafford could be available when Dallas is on the clock. If so, he would make a good selection for the Mavs.

Daniel Gafford. Photo credited to Getty Images.

Gafford, twenty-years-old, played two season at Arkansas, earning a First Team All-SEC selection this year. Gafford averaged 16.9 points and 8.7 rebounds, along with two blocks per game in his sophomore season.

Gafford is 6-foot-11, 233 pounds and has a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He typically plays in the paint, where he averaged a 64 percent field goal percentage in his college career.

Dwight Powell played some center for the Mavs last year, where he put up decent numbers. In drafting Gafford, Powell could back up Porzingis at his natural power forward position.

While Gafford’s style of play is not very common in the NBA anymore, he could develop into a solid center overtime. He and Porzingis’ differing styles of play could make for a unique frontcourt on the up-and-coming Mavericks going forward.

Stats credited to basketball-reference.com.

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